diff --git a/mongoengine/queryset/base.py b/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
index d65c8cd2..89eb9afa 100644
--- a/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
+++ b/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ class BaseQuerySet(object):
         .. deprecated:: Ignored with PyMongo 3+
         """
         if IS_PYMONGO_3:
-            msg = ("snapshot is deprecated as it has no impact when using PyMongo 3+.")
+            msg = "snapshot is deprecated as it has no impact when using PyMongo 3+."
             warnings.warn(msg, DeprecationWarning)
         queryset = self.clone()
         queryset._snapshot = enabled
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ class BaseQuerySet(object):
         .. deprecated:: Ignored with PyMongo 3+
         """
         if IS_PYMONGO_3:
-            msg = ("slave_okay is deprecated as it has no impact when using PyMongo 3+.")
+            msg = "slave_okay is deprecated as it has no impact when using PyMongo 3+."
             warnings.warn(msg, DeprecationWarning)
         queryset = self.clone()
         queryset._slave_okay = enabled
diff --git a/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py b/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
index e8cd2721..c43c4b40 100644
--- a/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
+++ b/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
@@ -128,20 +128,15 @@ def query(_doc_cls=None, _field_operation=False, **query):
                 mongo_query[key].update(value)
                 # $maxDistance needs to come last - convert to SON
                 value_dict = mongo_query[key]
-                if ('$maxDistance' in value_dict and '$near' in value_dict):
+                if '$maxDistance' in value_dict and '$near' in value_dict:
                     value_son = SON()
                     if isinstance(value_dict['$near'], dict):
                         for k, v in value_dict.iteritems():
                             if k == '$maxDistance':
                                 continue
                             value_son[k] = v
-                        if (get_connection().max_wire_version <= 1):
-                            value_son['$maxDistance'] = value_dict[
-                                '$maxDistance']
-                        else:
-                            value_son['$near'] = SON(value_son['$near'])
-                            value_son['$near'][
-                                '$maxDistance'] = value_dict['$maxDistance']
+                        value_son['$near'] = SON(value_son['$near'])
+                        value_son['$near']['$maxDistance'] = value_dict['$maxDistance']
                     else:
                         for k, v in value_dict.iteritems():
                             if k == '$maxDistance':
diff --git a/tests/queryset/queryset.py b/tests/queryset/queryset.py
index b757ddda..65d84305 100644
--- a/tests/queryset/queryset.py
+++ b/tests/queryset/queryset.py
@@ -708,6 +708,11 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         Blog.drop_collection()
 
+        # get MongoDB version info
+        connection = get_connection()
+        info = connection.test.command('buildInfo')
+        mongodb_version = tuple([int(i) for i in info['version'].split('.')])
+
         # Recreates the collection
         self.assertEqual(0, Blog.objects.count())
 
@@ -724,7 +729,7 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 blogs.append(Blog(title="post %s" % i, posts=[post1, post2]))
 
             Blog.objects.insert(blogs, load_bulk=False)
-            if (get_connection().max_wire_version <= 1):
+            if mongodb_version < (2, 6):
                 self.assertEqual(q, 1)
             else:
                 # profiling logs each doc now in the bulk op
@@ -737,7 +742,7 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(q, 0)
 
             Blog.objects.insert(blogs)
-            if (get_connection().max_wire_version <= 1):
+            if mongodb_version < (2, 6):
                 self.assertEqual(q, 2)  # 1 for insert, and 1 for in bulk fetch
             else:
                 # 99 for insert, and 1 for in bulk fetch
@@ -869,8 +874,10 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
             self.assertEqual(q, 3)
 
+    @skip_pymongo3
     def test_slave_okay(self):
-        """Ensures that a query can take slave_okay syntax
+        """Ensures that a query can take slave_okay syntax.
+        Useless with PyMongo 3+ as well as with MongoDB 3+.
         """
         person1 = self.Person(name="User A", age=20)
         person1.save()