diff --git a/test/backend/common.py b/test/backend/common.py
index a9b077eae7..7e56f4ecb5 100644
--- a/test/backend/common.py
+++ b/test/backend/common.py
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
 import sys
 import os
 import ctypes
-import onnx
+
+try:
+    import onnx
+except ImportError:
+    print(
+        "Failed to include the `onnx` package; please install to successfully use this script."
+    )
+    exit(1)
+
 import subprocess
 import variables
 from variables import *
diff --git a/test/backend/inference_backend.py b/test/backend/inference_backend.py
index b13f25f177..5bf36404cd 100644
--- a/test/backend/inference_backend.py
+++ b/test/backend/inference_backend.py
@@ -18,8 +18,16 @@
 import base64
 import numpy as np
 import re
-import onnx
-import onnx.parser
+
+try:
+    import onnx
+    import onnx.parser
+except ImportError:
+    print(
+        "Failed to include the `onnx` package; please install to successfully use this script."
+    )
+    exit(1)
+
 import subprocess
 from onnx.backend.base import Device, DeviceType, Backend
 from onnx.backend.test import BackendTest
diff --git a/test/backend/onnxmlir_node_tests.py b/test/backend/onnxmlir_node_tests.py
index 9a63d34edc..864d3f767c 100644
--- a/test/backend/onnxmlir_node_tests.py
+++ b/test/backend/onnxmlir_node_tests.py
@@ -8,8 +8,16 @@
 ################################################################################
 
 import numpy as np
-import onnx
-import onnx.parser
+
+try:
+    import onnx
+    import onnx.parser
+except ImportError:
+    print(
+        "Failed to include the `onnx` package; please install to successfully use this script."
+    )
+    exit(1)
+
 from collections import namedtuple
 
 OnnxMlirNodeTestCase = namedtuple(