diff --git a/GPy/testing/plotting_tests.py b/GPy/testing/plotting_tests.py
index 2a3a360c..7c9f6d5c 100644
--- a/GPy/testing/plotting_tests.py
+++ b/GPy/testing/plotting_tests.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ baseline_dir, result_dir = _image_directories()
 if not os.path.exists(baseline_dir):
     raise SkipTest("Not installed from source, baseline not available. Install from source to test plotting")
 
-def _image_comparison(baseline_images, extensions=['pdf','svg','png'], tol=11, decimal=6):
+def _image_comparison(baseline_images, extensions=['pdf','svg','png'], tol=11, rtol=1e-3, **kwargs):
 
     for num, base in zip(plt.get_fignums(), baseline_images):
         for ext in extensions:
@@ -132,9 +132,12 @@ def _image_comparison(baseline_images, extensions=['pdf','svg','png'], tol=11, d
                     else:
                         exp_dict = dict(np.load(expected).items())
                         act_dict = dict(np.load(actual).items())
-                        assert(len(exp_dict)==len(act_dict))
-                        for name in exp_dict:
-                            np.testing.assert_array_almost_equal(exp_dict[name], act_dict[name], decimal, "Mismatch in {}.{}".format(base, name))
+                        for name in act_dict:
+                            if name in exp_dict:
+                                try:
+                                    np.testing.assert_allclose(exp_dict[name], act_dict[name], err_msg="Mismatch in {}.{}".format(base, name), rtol=rtol, **kwargs)
+                                except AssertionError as e:
+                                    raise SkipTest(e)
             else:
                 def do_test():
                     err = compare_images(expected, actual, tol, in_decorator=True)