diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 79ab35616e..9f908742c0 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ filterwarnings =
     # TODO: remove in 1.7
     ignore::pytorch_lightning.utilities.rank_zero.LightningDeprecationWarning:pytorch_lightning.core.decorators
     ignore::pytorch_lightning.utilities.rank_zero.LightningDeprecationWarning:pytorch_lightning.core.memory
-
+xfail_strict = true
 junit_duration_report = call
 
 
diff --git a/tests/helpers/runif.py b/tests/helpers/runif.py
index 8460a9339f..b81a1b1fdf 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/runif.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/runif.py
@@ -34,13 +34,18 @@ from pytorch_lightning.utilities import (
     _TPU_AVAILABLE,
 )
 
-try:
-    from horovod.common.util import nccl_built
+_HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE = False
+if _HOROVOD_AVAILABLE:
+    import horovod
 
-    nccl_built()
-    _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE = True
-except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError, AttributeError):
-    _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE = False
+    try:
+
+        # `nccl_built` returns an integer
+        _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE = bool(horovod.torch.nccl_built())
+    except AttributeError:
+        # AttributeError can be raised if MPI is not available:
+        # https://github.com/horovod/horovod/blob/v0.23.0/horovod/torch/__init__.py#L33-L34
+        pass
 
 
 class RunIf:
@@ -152,8 +157,7 @@ class RunIf:
             reasons.append("Horovod")
 
         if horovod_nccl:
-            # FIXME(@jirka): nccl is not available in ci
-            conditions.append(True)  # not _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE
+            conditions.append(not _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE)
             reasons.append("Horovod with NCCL")
 
         if standalone:
diff --git a/tests/models/test_horovod.py b/tests/models/test_horovod.py
index c4d364ad1f..6f87b66b0c 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_horovod.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_horovod.py
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ if _HOROVOD_AVAILABLE:
     import horovod
     import horovod.torch as hvd
 
+
+@RunIf(min_gpus=1, horovod=True)
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="FIXME(@Borda): nccl is not available in the GPU image")
+def test_nccl_is_available_on_gpu_environment():
+    from tests.helpers.runif import _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE
+
+    # the GPU environment should always install Horovod NCCL
+    assert _HOROVOD_NCCL_AVAILABLE
+
+
 # This script will run the actual test model training in parallel
 TEST_SCRIPT = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "data", "horovod", "train_default_model.py")