diff -u b/core/modules/migrate_drupal/src/Tests/MigrateDrupalTestBase.php b/core/modules/migrate_drupal/src/Tests/MigrateDrupalTestBase.php
--- b/core/modules/migrate_drupal/src/Tests/MigrateDrupalTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/migrate_drupal/src/Tests/MigrateDrupalTestBase.php
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\migrate\Tests\MigrateTestBase;
 use Drupal\migrate\Entity\Migration;
-use Drupal\migrate\MigrationStorage;
-use Drupal\Component\Plugin\Exception\PluginNotFoundException;
+use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigInstaller;
 
 /**
  * Base class for Drupal migration tests.
@@ -53,18 +52,15 @@
    *  Drupal version as provided in migration_tags - e.g., 'Drupal 6'.
    */
   protected function installMigrations($version) {
+    /** @var ConfigInstaller $config_installer */
+    $config_installer = \Drupal::service('config.installer');
     $migration_templates = \Drupal::service('migrate.template_storage')->findTemplatesByTag($version);
+    $all_template_names = array_keys($migration_templates);
     foreach ($migration_templates as $template_name => $template) {
-      try {
+      if ($config_installer->validateDependenciesWrapper($template_name, $template, $all_template_names)) {
         $migration = Migration::create($template);
         $migration->save();
       }
-      catch (PluginNotFoundException $e) {
-        // Migrations requiring modules not enabled will throw an exception.
-        // Ignoring this exception is equivalent to placing config in the
-        // optional subdirectory - the migrations we require for the test will
-        // be successfully saved.
-      }
     }
   }
 }
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigInstaller.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigInstaller.php
@@ -528,6 +528,14 @@ protected function validateDependencies($config_name, array $data, array $enable
   }
 
   /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function validateDependenciesWrapper($config_name, array $data, array $additional_config) {
+    $all_config = array_merge($this->getActiveStorages()->listAll(), $additional_config);
+    return $this->validateDependencies($config_name, $data, $this->getEnabledExtensions(), $all_config);
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Gets the list of enabled extensions including both modules and themes.
    *
    * @return array
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigInstallerInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigInstallerInterface.php
@@ -110,4 +110,18 @@ public function isSyncing();
    */
   public function checkConfigurationToInstall($type, $name);
 
+  /**
+   * Validates an array of config data that contains dependency information.
+   *
+   * @param string $config_name
+   *   The name of the configuration object that is being validated.
+   * @param array $data
+   *   Configuration data.
+   * @param array $additional_config
+   *   List of configuration names to be considered as present.
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   TRUE if the dependencies are met, FALSE if not.
+   */
+  public function validateDependenciesWrapper($config_name, array $data, array $additional_config);
 }