diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
index f9218d34f6ec5..50c5cca935553 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
@@ -3967,7 +3967,14 @@ def test_from_records_with_datetimes(self):
 
         arrdata = [np.array([datetime(2005, 3, 1, 0, 0), None])]
         dtypes = [('EXPIRY', '<M8[ns]')]
-        recarray = np.core.records.fromarrays(arrdata, dtype=dtypes)
+
+        # this may fail on certain platforms because of a numpy issue
+        # related GH6140
+        try:
+            recarray = np.core.records.fromarrays(arrdata, dtype=dtypes)
+        except (ValueError):
+            raise nose.SkipTest('rec arrays with datetimes not supported')
+
         result = DataFrame.from_records(recarray)
         assert_frame_equal(result,expected)
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_indexing.py b/pandas/tests/test_indexing.py
index 83e36d9da3830..44d90c78e07d1 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_indexing.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_indexing.py
@@ -650,19 +650,19 @@ def test_loc_setitem_frame_multiples(self):
 
         # multiple setting
         df = DataFrame({ 'A' : ['foo','bar','baz'],
-                         'B' : range(3) })
+                         'B' : Series(range(3),dtype=np.int64) })
         df.loc[0:1] = df.loc[1:2]
         expected = DataFrame({ 'A' : ['bar','baz','baz'],
-                               'B' : [1,2,2] })
+                               'B' : Series([1,2,2],dtype=np.int64) })
         assert_frame_equal(df, expected)
 
 
         # multiple setting with frame on rhs (with M8)
         df = DataFrame({ 'date' : date_range('2000-01-01','2000-01-5'),
-                         'val'  : range(5) })
+                         'val'  : Series(range(5),dtype=np.int64) })
         expected = DataFrame({ 'date' : [Timestamp('20000101'),Timestamp('20000102'),Timestamp('20000101'),
                                          Timestamp('20000102'),Timestamp('20000103')],
-                               'val'  : [0,1,0,1,2] })
+                               'val'  : Series([0,1,0,1,2],dtype=np.int64) })
 
         df.loc[2:4] = df.loc[0:2]
         assert_frame_equal(df, expected)