diff --git a/packages/compartment-mapper/test/optional.test.js b/packages/compartment-mapper/test/optional.test.js
index 8f5ea74779..61e9ab841d 100644
--- a/packages/compartment-mapper/test/optional.test.js
+++ b/packages/compartment-mapper/test/optional.test.js
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ const fixtureOptionalDepsCjs = new URL(
 
 scaffold(
   'optionalDependencies/esm',
-  // this test fails because it relies on dynamic import
+  // fails for archives because dynamic import cannot reach modules not
+  // discovered during archival
   test,
   fixtureOptionalDepsEsm,
   async (t, { namespace }) => {
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ scaffold(
     );
   },
   4,
-  { knownFailure: true },
+  { knownArchiveFailure: true },
 );
 
 scaffold(
diff --git a/packages/compartment-mapper/test/scaffold.js b/packages/compartment-mapper/test/scaffold.js
index aec454b739..6621648e36 100644
--- a/packages/compartment-mapper/test/scaffold.js
+++ b/packages/compartment-mapper/test/scaffold.js
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ export function scaffold(
     addGlobals = {},
     policy,
     knownFailure = false,
+    knownArchiveFailure = false,
     tags = undefined,
     conditions = tags,
     strict = false,
@@ -111,7 +112,10 @@ export function scaffold(
   // wrapping each time allows for convenient use of test.only
   const wrap = (testFunc, testCategoryHint) => (title, implementation) => {
     // mark as known failure if available (but fallback to support test.only)
-    if (knownFailure) {
+    if (
+      knownFailure ||
+      (knownArchiveFailure && testCategoryHint === 'Archive')
+    ) {
       testFunc = testFunc.failing || testFunc;
     }
     return testFunc(title, async t => {