diff --git a/api/api_test.go b/api/api_test.go
index 56f764d83..5b7f557ca 100644
--- a/api/api_test.go
+++ b/api/api_test.go
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ func makeClientWithConfig(
 	t *testing.T,
 	cb1 configCallback,
 	cb2 testutil.ServerConfigCallback) (*Client, *testutil.TestServer) {
+	// Skip test when -short flag provided; any tests that create a test
+	// server will take at least 100ms which is undesirable for -short
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("too slow for testing.Short")
+	}
 
 	// Make client config
 	conf := DefaultConfig()
diff --git a/api/watch/funcs_test.go b/api/watch/funcs_test.go
index 10c67da4e..1c23654f0 100644
--- a/api/watch/funcs_test.go
+++ b/api/watch/funcs_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 func makeClient(t *testing.T) (*api.Client, *testutil.TestServer) {
+	// Skip test when -short flag provided; any tests that create a test server
+	// will take at least 100ms which is undesirable for -short
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("too slow for testing.Short")
+	}
+
 	// Make client config
 	conf := api.DefaultConfig()