diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index e9d977b47f8c..9e047712b360 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ environment:
       PYTHON_VERSION: "2.7"
       TEST_ALL: "no"
       CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: "C:\\Miniconda-x64"
-    - TARGET_ARCH: "x64"
-      CONDA_PY: "35"
-      CONDA_NPY: "110"
-      PYTHON_VERSION: "3.5"
-      CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: "C:\\Miniconda35-x64"
-      TEST_ALL: "no"
     - TARGET_ARCH: "x64"
       CONDA_PY: "36"
       PYTHON_VERSION: "3.6"
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index 00488a134097..cf13064f481c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -1347,12 +1347,15 @@ def tk_window_focus():
 
 
 def _init_tests():
-    try:
-        import faulthandler
-    except ImportError:
-        pass
-    else:
-        faulthandler.enable()
+    # work around https://bugs.python.org/issue31701
+    # faulthandler dumps 'Windows fatal exception: code 0xe06d7363'
+    if not (sys.platform == 'win32' and sys.version_info[:3] == (3, 6, 3)):
+        try:
+            import faulthandler
+        except ImportError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            faulthandler.enable()
 
     # The version of FreeType to install locally for running the
     # tests.  This must match the value in `setupext.py`