diff --git a/satpy/tests/test_writers.py b/satpy/tests/test_writers.py
index e2bfd898ab..bc68d767c1 100644
--- a/satpy/tests/test_writers.py
+++ b/satpy/tests/test_writers.py
@@ -548,13 +548,20 @@ def setUp(self):
         import tempfile
         from datetime import datetime
 
+        from pyresample.geometry import AreaDefinition
+
         from satpy.scene import Scene
 
+        adef = AreaDefinition(
+            "test", "test", "test", "EPSG:4326",
+            100, 200, (-180., -90., 180., 90.),
+        )
         ds1 = xr.DataArray(
             da.zeros((100, 200), chunks=50),
             dims=("y", "x"),
             attrs={"name": "test",
-                   "start_time": datetime(2018, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0)}
+                   "start_time": datetime(2018, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
+                   "area": adef}
         )
         self.scn = Scene()
         self.scn["test"] = ds1
@@ -650,8 +657,14 @@ def setup_method(self):
         import tempfile
         from datetime import datetime
 
+        from pyresample.geometry import AreaDefinition
+
         from satpy.scene import Scene
 
+        adef = AreaDefinition(
+            "test", "test", "test", "EPSG:4326",
+            100, 200, (-180., -90., 180., 90.),
+        )
         ds1 = xr.DataArray(
             da.zeros((100, 200), chunks=50),
             dims=("y", "x"),
@@ -659,6 +672,7 @@ def setup_method(self):
                 "name": "test",
                 "start_time": datetime(2018, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
                 "sensor": "fake_sensor",
+                "area": adef,
             }
         )
         ds2 = ds1.copy()
diff --git a/satpy/tests/writer_tests/test_geotiff.py b/satpy/tests/writer_tests/test_geotiff.py
index 74fcd43609..8925857637 100644
--- a/satpy/tests/writer_tests/test_geotiff.py
+++ b/satpy/tests/writer_tests/test_geotiff.py
@@ -32,12 +32,19 @@
 
 def _get_test_datasets_2d():
     """Create a single 2D test dataset."""
+    from pyresample.geometry import AreaDefinition
+
+    adef = AreaDefinition(
+        "test", "test", "test", "EPSG:4326",
+        100, 200, (-180., -90., 180., 90.),
+    )
     ds1 = xr.DataArray(
         da.zeros((100, 200), chunks=50),
         dims=("y", "x"),
         attrs={"name": "test",
                "start_time": datetime.utcnow(),
-               "units": "K"}
+               "units": "K",
+               "area": adef}
     )
     return [ds1]
 
@@ -54,12 +61,19 @@ def _get_test_datasets_2d_nonlinear_enhancement():
 
 def _get_test_datasets_3d():
     """Create a single 3D test dataset."""
+    from pyresample.geometry import AreaDefinition
+
+    adef = AreaDefinition(
+        "test", "test", "test", "EPSG:4326",
+        100, 200, (-180., -90., 180., 90.),
+    )
     ds1 = xr.DataArray(
         da.zeros((3, 100, 200), chunks=50),
         dims=("bands", "y", "x"),
         coords={"bands": ["R", "G", "B"]},
         attrs={"name": "test",
-               "start_time": datetime.utcnow()}
+               "start_time": datetime.utcnow(),
+               "area": adef}
     )
     return [ds1]