diff --git a/map/common/geotiff-grid-source.js b/map/common/geotiff-grid-source.js
index 684c69139..8eaef1b84 100644
--- a/map/common/geotiff-grid-source.js
+++ b/map/common/geotiff-grid-source.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as GeoTIFF from 'geotiff'
+import _ from 'lodash'
 import { unitConverters, SortOrder, GridSource, Grid1D } from './grid.js'
 
 // pack r,g,b in an uint32
@@ -56,7 +57,8 @@ export class GeoTiffGridSource extends GridSource {
     this.rgb = config.rgb
 
     try {
-      this.geotiff = await GeoTIFF.fromUrl(config.url)
+      // forceXHR is useful for tests because nock doesn't know how to intercept fetch
+      this.geotiff = await GeoTIFF.fromUrl(config.url, { forceXHR: _.get(config, 'forceXHR', false) })
     } catch (error) {
       // fetching may fail, in this case the source
       // will remain in unusable state
diff --git a/test/api/map/grid-sources.test.js b/test/api/map/grid-sources.test.js
index 8303c1eb1..564538529 100644
--- a/test/api/map/grid-sources.test.js
+++ b/test/api/map/grid-sources.test.js
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ describe('map:grid-source', () => {
   describe('geotiff', () => {
     const geotiffOptions = {
       geotiff: {
-        url: 'http://kMap.test/data.tif'
+        url: 'http://kMap.test/data.tif',
+        // because nock doesnt know howto intercept fecth
+        forceXHR: true
       }
     }