diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/transcripts.feature b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/transcripts.feature
index 00684ffd67..d69d12a49f 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/transcripts.feature
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/transcripts.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_3
+@shard_3 @requires_stub_youtube
 Feature: CMS Transcripts
   As a course author, I want to be able to create video components
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.feature b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.feature
index 6179a33eb1..f81c4bb712 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.feature
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_3
+@shard_3 @requires_stub_youtube
 Feature: CMS Video Component
   As a course author, I want to be able to view my created videos in Studio
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.py
index fd7a352162..180e2e3164 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # pylint: disable=C0111
 
 from lettuce import world, step
-from nose.tools import assert_less
-from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 from contentstore.utils import get_modulestore
 from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys
 
@@ -22,7 +20,6 @@ SELECTORS = {
 # We should wait 300 ms for event handler invocation + 200ms for safety.
 DELAY = 0.5
 
-
 @step('youtube stub server (.*) YouTube API')
 def configure_youtube_api(_step, action):
     action=action.strip()
@@ -33,7 +30,6 @@ def configure_youtube_api(_step, action):
     else:
         raise ValueError('Parameter `action` should be one of "proxies" or "blocks".')
 
-
 @step('I have created a Video component$')
 def i_created_a_video_component(_step):
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_editor.feature b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_editor.feature
index ba028412de..ec0eca51b5 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_editor.feature
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_editor.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_1
+@shard_1 @requires_stub_youtube
 Feature: CMS Video Component Editor
   As a course author, I want to be able to create video components
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_handout.feature b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_handout.feature
index 980ae0ed6f..dba4c71f26 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_handout.feature
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/video_handout.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_3
+@shard_3 @requires_stub_youtube
 Feature: CMS Video Component Handout
   As a course author, I want to be able to create video handout
 
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/__init__.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/__init__.py
index 2740ff326b..ee3c154101 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/terrain/__init__.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/terrain/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # Use this as your lettuce terrain file so that the common steps
 # across all lms apps can be put in terrain/common
 # See https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!msg/lettuce-users/5VyU9B4HcX8/USgbGIJdS5QJ
-from terrain.browser import *
-from terrain.steps import *
-from terrain.factories import *
-from terrain.start_stubs import *
+
+from terrain.browser import *  # pylint: disable=W0401
+from terrain.steps import *  # pylint: disable=W0401
+from terrain.factories import *  # pylint: disable=W0401
+from terrain.setup_prereqs import *  # pylint: disable=W0401
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/setup_prereqs.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/setup_prereqs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65efdb745a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/terrain/setup_prereqs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+"""
+Set up the prequisites for acceptance tests.
+
+This includes initialization and teardown for stub and video HTTP services
+and checking for external URLs that need to be accessible and responding.
+
+"""
+from lettuce import before, after, world
+from django.conf import settings
+from terrain.stubs.youtube import StubYouTubeService
+from terrain.stubs.xqueue import StubXQueueService
+from terrain.stubs.lti import StubLtiService
+from terrain.stubs.video_source import VideoSourceHttpService
+
+import re
+import requests
+
+
+SERVICES = {
+    "youtube": {"port": settings.YOUTUBE_PORT, "class": StubYouTubeService},
+    "xqueue": {"port": settings.XQUEUE_PORT, "class": StubXQueueService},
+    "lti": {"port": settings.LTI_PORT, "class": StubLtiService},
+}
+
+YOUTUBE_API_URLS = {
+    'main': 'https://www.youtube.com/',
+    'player': 'http://www.youtube.com/iframe_api',
+    'metadata': 'http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/',
+    # For transcripts, you need to check an actual video, so we will
+    # just specify our default video and see if that one is available.
+    'transcript': 'http://video.google.com/timedtext?lang=en&v=OEoXaMPEzfM',
+}
+
+
+@before.all  # pylint: disable=E1101
+def start_video_server():
+    """
+    Serve the HTML5 Video Sources from a local port
+    """
+    video_source_dir = '{}/data/video'.format(settings.TEST_ROOT)
+    video_server = VideoSourceHttpService(port_num=settings.VIDEO_SOURCE_PORT)
+    video_server.config['root_dir'] = video_source_dir
+    setattr(world, 'video_source', video_server)
+
+
+@after.all  # pylint: disable=E1101
+def stop_video_server(_total):
+    """
+    Stop the HTML5 Video Source server after all tests have executed
+    """
+    video_server = getattr(world, 'video_source', None)
+    if video_server:
+        video_server.shutdown()
+
+
+@before.each_scenario
+def process_requires_tags(scenario):
+    """
+    Process the scenario tags to make sure that any
+    requirements are met prior to that scenario
+    being executed.
+
+    Scenario tags must be named with this convention:
+    @requires_stub_bar, where 'bar' is the name of the stub service to start
+
+    if 'bar' is 'youtube'
+        if 'youtube' is not available Then
+            DON'T start youtube stub server
+            ALSO DON'T start any other stub server BECAUSE we will SKIP this Scenario so no need to start any stub
+    else
+        start the stub server
+
+    """
+    tag_re = re.compile('requires_stub_(?P<server>[^_]+)')
+    for tag in scenario.tags:
+        requires = tag_re.match(tag)
+
+        if requires:
+            if requires.group('server') == 'youtube':
+                if not is_youtube_available(scenario, YOUTUBE_API_URLS):
+                    return
+
+            start_stub(requires.group('server'))
+
+
+def start_stub(name):
+    """
+    Start the required stub service running on a local port.
+    Since these services can be reconfigured on the fly,
+    we start them on a scenario basis when needed and
+    stop them at the end of the scenario.
+    """
+    service = SERVICES.get(name, None)
+    if service:
+        fake_server = service['class'](port_num=service['port'])
+        setattr(world, name, fake_server)
+
+
+def is_youtube_available(scenario, urls):
+    """
+    Check if the required youtube urls are available.
+    If they are not, then skip the scenario.
+    """
+    for name, url in urls.iteritems():
+        response = requests.get(url, allow_redirects=False)
+        status = response.status_code
+        if status != 200:
+            print "ERROR: YouTube {0} service not available. Status code: {1}".format(
+                name, status)
+
+            # This is a hackish way to skip a test in lettuce as there is
+            # no proper way to skip a test conditionally
+            scenario.steps = []
+
+            # No need to check all the URLs
+            return False
+
+    return True
+
+
+@after.each_scenario
+def stop_stubs(_scenario):
+    """
+    Shut down any stub services that were started up for the scenario.
+    """
+    for name in SERVICES.keys():
+        stub_server = getattr(world, name, None)
+        if stub_server is not None:
+            stub_server.shutdown()
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/start_stubs.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/start_stubs.py
deleted file mode 100644
index f1ce715bcd..0000000000
--- a/common/djangoapps/terrain/start_stubs.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Initialize and teardown stub and video HTTP services for use in acceptance tests.
-"""
-from lettuce import before, after, world
-from django.conf import settings
-from terrain.stubs.youtube import StubYouTubeService
-from terrain.stubs.xqueue import StubXQueueService
-from terrain.stubs.lti import StubLtiService
-from terrain.stubs.video_source import VideoSourceHttpService
-
-
-SERVICES = {
-    "youtube": {"port": settings.YOUTUBE_PORT, "class": StubYouTubeService},
-    "xqueue": {"port": settings.XQUEUE_PORT, "class": StubXQueueService},
-    "lti": {"port": settings.LTI_PORT, "class": StubLtiService},
-}
-
-
-@before.all  # pylint: disable=E1101
-def start_video_server():
-    """
-    Serve the HTML5 Video Sources from a local port
-    """
-    video_source_dir = '{}/data/video'.format(settings.TEST_ROOT)
-    video_server = VideoSourceHttpService(port_num=settings.VIDEO_SOURCE_PORT)
-    video_server.config['root_dir'] = video_source_dir
-    setattr(world, 'video_source', video_server)
-
-
-@after.all  # pylint: disable=E1101
-def stop_video_server(_total):
-    """
-    Stop the HTML5 Video Source server after all tests have executed
-    """
-    video_server = getattr(world, 'video_source', None)
-    if video_server:
-        video_server.shutdown()
-
-
-@before.each_scenario
-def start_stubs(_scenario):
-    """
-    Start each stub service running on a local port.
-    Since these services can be reconfigured on the fly,
-    stop and restart them on a scenario basis.
-    """
-    for name, service in SERVICES.iteritems():
-        fake_server = service['class'](port_num=service['port'])
-        setattr(world, name, fake_server)
-
-
-@after.each_scenario
-def stop_stubs(_scenario):
-    """
-    Shut down each stub service.
-    """
-    for name in SERVICES.keys():
-        stub_server = getattr(world, name, None)
-        if stub_server is not None:
-            stub_server.shutdown()
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/lti.feature b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/lti.feature
index e26647de32..0570502d81 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/lti.feature
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/lti.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_1
+@shard_1 @requires_stub_lti
 Feature: LMS.LTI component
   As a student, I want to view LTI component in LMS.
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/problems.feature b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/problems.feature
index 3b08be7b34..2985fc2432 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/problems.feature
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/problems.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_1
+@shard_1 @requires_stub_xqueue
 Feature: LMS.Answer problems
     As a student in an edX course
     In order to test my understanding of the material
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.feature b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.feature
index 6204a590e4..9e655e5a17 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.feature
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@shard_2
+@shard_2 @requires_stub_youtube
 Feature: LMS.Video component
   As a student, I want to view course videos in LMS
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.py
index 217a4106b2..44d0766857 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/features/video.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from cache_toolbox.core import del_cached_content
 from xmodule.contentstore.content import StaticContent
 from xmodule.contentstore.django import contentstore
 
+
 TEST_ROOT = settings.COMMON_TEST_DATA_ROOT
 LANGUAGES = settings.ALL_LANGUAGES
 VIDEO_SOURCE_PORT = settings.VIDEO_SOURCE_PORT
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ VIDEO_MENUS = {
 
 coursenum = 'test_course'
 
+
 @before.each_scenario
 def setUp(scenario):
     world.video_sequences = {}