diff --git a/lutris/util/moddb.py b/lutris/util/moddb.py
index 9e37f0391..b456607c5 100644
--- a/lutris/util/moddb.py
+++ b/lutris/util/moddb.py
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ def _try_import_moddb_library():
         logger.warn('The moddb library is not available, though the installer is attempting to install a file hosted on moddb.com. The moddb.com URLs will not be transformed, and rather passed as-is.')
 
 class ModDB:
-    def __init__(self, parse_page_method: types.MethodType=None):
-        self.moddb_lib = _try_import_moddb_library()
+    def __init__(self, parse_page_method: types.MethodType=None, moddb_lib: types.ModuleType=_try_import_moddb_library()):
+        self.moddb_lib = moddb_lib
         self.parse = parse_page_method
         if self.parse is None and self.moddb_lib is not None:
           self.parse = self.moddb_lib.parse_page
diff --git a/tests/test_moddb_helper.py b/tests/test_moddb_helper.py
index 4792eae53..463d34bd9 100644
--- a/tests/test_moddb_helper.py
+++ b/tests/test_moddb_helper.py
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ class ModDBHelperTests(unittest.TestCase):
     hlpr = ModDB(custom)
     self.assertEqual(hlpr.parse, custom)
 
+  ## missing moddb lib handling
+  def test_transform_url_missing_lib_noop(self):
+    moddb_url = 'https://www.moddb.com/downloads/mirror/somethingsomething'
+    hlpr = ModDB(moddb_lib=None)
+    transformed = hlpr.transform_url(moddb_url)
+    self.assertEqual(transformed, moddb_url)
+
   ## transform_url
   def test_transform_url_url_is_mirror_with_www_throws(self):
     moddb_url = 'https://www.moddb.com/downloads/mirror/somethingsomething'