diff --git a/src/sage/tests/cmdline.py b/src/sage/tests/cmdline.py
index 5bfe85f6e4c..027e5b36d0f 100644
--- a/src/sage/tests/cmdline.py
+++ b/src/sage/tests/cmdline.py
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ def test_executable(args, input="", timeout=100.0, pydebug_ignore_warnings=False
 
     Some programs of which we check functionality using only ``--version``::
 
+        sage: # needs sage.symbolic
         sage: (out, err, ret) = test_executable(["sage", "--maxima", "--version"])
         sage: out.find("Maxima ") >= 0
         True