diff --git a/test/system/030-run.bats b/test/system/030-run.bats
index 3ee141f5f0..23f924de22 100644
--- a/test/system/030-run.bats
+++ b/test/system/030-run.bats
@@ -415,13 +415,18 @@ json-file | f
         fi
 
         if [[ $driver != 'none' ]]; then
-            run_podman logs myctr
-            is "$output" "$msg" "check that podman logs works as expected"
+            if [[ $driver = 'journald' ]] && journald_unavailable; then
+                # Cannot perform check
+                :
+            else
+                run_podman logs myctr
+                is "$output" "$msg" "podman logs, with driver '$driver'"
+            fi
         else
             run_podman 125 logs myctr
             if ! is_remote; then
                 is "$output" ".*this container is using the 'none' log driver, cannot read logs.*" \
-                   "podman logs does not work with none log driver"
+                   "podman logs, with driver 'none', should fail with error"
             fi
         fi
         run_podman rm myctr
@@ -437,14 +442,7 @@ json-file | f
     skip_if_remote "We cannot read journalctl over remote."
 
     # We can't use journald on RHEL as rootless, either: rhbz#1895105
-    if is_rootless; then
-        run journalctl -n 1
-        if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
-            if [[ $output =~ permission ]]; then
-                skip "Cannot use rootless journald on this system"
-            fi
-        fi
-    fi
+    skip_if_journald_unavailable
 
     msg=$(random_string 20)
     pidfile="${PODMAN_TMPDIR}/$(random_string 20)"
diff --git a/test/system/035-logs.bats b/test/system/035-logs.bats
index a081a7ce1b..bac153b8e8 100644
--- a/test/system/035-logs.bats
+++ b/test/system/035-logs.bats
@@ -55,14 +55,7 @@ ${cid[0]} d"   "Sequential output from logs"
 
 @test "podman logs over journald" {
     # We can't use journald on RHEL as rootless: rhbz#1895105
-    if is_rootless; then
-        run journalctl -n 1
-        if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
-            if [[ $output =~ permission ]]; then
-                skip "Cannot use rootless journald on this system"
-            fi
-        fi
-    fi
+    skip_if_journald_unavailable
 
     msg=$(random_string 20)
 
diff --git a/test/system/helpers.bash b/test/system/helpers.bash
index 6a7c6cc42c..f782de0803 100644
--- a/test/system/helpers.bash
+++ b/test/system/helpers.bash
@@ -259,6 +259,31 @@ function is_cgroupsv2() {
     test "$cgroup_type" = "cgroup2fs"
 }
 
+# rhbz#1895105: rootless journald is unavailable except to users in
+# certain magic groups; which our testuser account does not belong to
+# (intentional: that is the RHEL default, so that's the setup we test).
+function journald_unavailable() {
+    if ! is_rootless; then
+        # root must always have access to journal
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    run journalctl -n 1
+    if [[ $status -eq 0 ]]; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    if [[ $output =~ permission ]]; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # This should never happen; if it does, it's likely that a subsequent
+    # test will fail. This output may help track that down.
+    echo "WEIRD: 'journalctl -n 1' failed with a non-permission error:"
+    echo "$output"
+    return 1
+}
+
 ###########################
 #  _add_label_if_missing  #  make sure skip messages include rootless/remote
 ###########################
@@ -315,6 +340,15 @@ function skip_if_cgroupsv1() {
     fi
 }
 
+##################################
+#  skip_if_journald_unavailable  #  rhbz#1895105: rootless journald permissions
+##################################
+function skip_if_journald_unavailable {
+    if journald_unavailable; then
+        skip "Cannot use rootless journald on this system"
+    fi
+}
+
 #########
 #  die  #  Abort with helpful message
 #########