diff --git a/tests/common.sh.in b/tests/common.sh.in
index 979b68e15..21f633607 100644
--- a/tests/common.sh.in
+++ b/tests/common.sh.in
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ if [[ $(uname) == Linux ]] && [[ -L /proc/self/ns/user ]] && unshare --user true
     _canUseSandbox=1
 fi
 
+isDaemonOlder () {
+  [[ -n "${NIX_DAEMON_PACKAGE:-}" ]] || return 0
+  local requiredVersion="$1"
+  local daemonVersion=$($NIX_DAEMON_PACKAGE/bin/nix-daemon --version | cut -d' ' -f3)
+  [[ $(nix eval --expr "builtins.compareVersions ''$daemonVersion'' ''$requiredVersion''") -lt 0 ]]
+}
+
 isDaemonNewer () {
   [[ -n "${NIX_DAEMON_PACKAGE:-}" ]] || return 0
   local requiredVersion="$1"
@@ -128,6 +135,10 @@ isDaemonNewer () {
   [[ $(nix eval --expr "builtins.compareVersions ''$daemonVersion'' ''$requiredVersion''") -ge 0 ]]
 }
 
+requireDaemonOlderThan () {
+  isDaemonOlder "$1" || exit 99
+}
+
 requireDaemonNewerThan () {
   isDaemonNewer "$1" || exit 99
 }
diff --git a/tests/structured-attrs.sh b/tests/structured-attrs.sh
index fcc00c4e0..e5018e15b 100644
--- a/tests/structured-attrs.sh
+++ b/tests/structured-attrs.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 source common.sh
 
 # 27ce722638 required some incompatible changes to the nix file, so skip this
-# tests for the older versions
-requireDaemonNewerThan "2.4pre20210622"
+# tests for the newer versions
+requireDaemonOlderThan "2.4pre20210622"
 
 clearStore