diff --git a/internal/rosa/meson.go b/internal/rosa/meson.go
index cb735e55..c4f3a56d 100644
--- a/internal/rosa/meson.go
+++ b/internal/rosa/meson.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func (t Toolchain) newMeson() (pkg.Artifact, string) {
 		},
 	}, &PipHelper{
 		EnterSource: true,
-		Script: `
+		Check: `
 cd 'test cases'
 rm -rf \
 	'common/32 has header' \
diff --git a/internal/rosa/python.go b/internal/rosa/python.go
index 56d50330..f31eec7b 100644
--- a/internal/rosa/python.go
+++ b/internal/rosa/python.go
@@ -117,14 +117,23 @@ type PipHelper struct {
 	EnterSource bool
 	// Whether to install to build environment after install.
 	Install bool
+	// Whether to skip running tests.
+	SkipCheck bool
+	// Replaces pytest if non-empty.
+	Check string
 	// Runs after install.
 	Script string
 }
 
 var _ Helper = new(PipHelper)
 
-// extra returns python.
-func (*PipHelper) extra(int) P { return P{Python} }
+// extra returns python, or pytest if defaults are assumed.
+func (attr *PipHelper) extra(int) P {
+	if attr == nil || (!attr.SkipCheck && attr.Check == "") {
+		return P{PythonPyTest}
+	}
+	return P{Python}
+}
 
 // wantsChmod returns true.
 func (*PipHelper) wantsChmod() bool { return true }
@@ -154,18 +163,27 @@ func (attr *PipHelper) script(name string) string {
 	--no-build-isolation \`
 	}
 
-	script := attr.Script
+	var script string
 	if attr.Install {
-		script = `pip3 install \
+		script += `pip3 install \
 	--no-index \
 	--prefix=/system \
 	--no-build-isolation \
 	'` + sourcePath.String() + `'
-` + script
+`
 	}
 	if attr.EnterSource {
-		script = "cd '/usr/src/" + name + "'\n" + script
+		script += "cd '/usr/src/" + name + "'\n"
 	}
+	if !attr.SkipCheck {
+		if attr.Check == "" {
+			// some test suites fall apart when ran out-of-tree
+			script += "(cd '" + sourcePath.String() + "' && pytest)\n"
+		} else {
+			script += attr.Check
+		}
+	}
+	script += attr.Script
 
 	return `
 pip3 install \
@@ -263,7 +281,10 @@ func init() {
 			"pypa/setuptools",
 			"v"+version, checksum,
 		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// error: invalid command 'dist_info'
 			BuildIsolation: true,
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
 		}, nil)
 }
 
@@ -284,7 +305,10 @@ func init() {
 				"SETUPTOOLS_SCM_PRETEND_VERSION=" + version,
 			},
 		}, &PipHelper{
+			// upstream is monorepo of two packages (setuptools-scm)
 			Append: []string{"vcs-versioning"},
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
 		}, nil,
 		PythonSetuptools,
 		PythonPackaging,
@@ -308,7 +332,10 @@ func init() {
 				"SETUPTOOLS_SCM_PRETEND_VERSION=" + version,
 			},
 		}, &PipHelper{
+			// upstream is monorepo of two packages
 			Append: []string{"setuptools-scm"},
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
 		}, nil,
 		PythonSetuptools,
 		PythonVCSVersioning,
@@ -328,7 +355,10 @@ func init() {
 			"pypa/flit",
 			version, checksum,
 		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// upstream has other unused packages with many dependencies
 			Append: []string{"flit_core"},
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
 		}, nil,
 	)
 }
@@ -345,7 +375,10 @@ func init() {
 		version, newFromGitHub(
 			"pypa/packaging",
 			version, checksum,
-		), nil, nil, P{PythonFlitCore},
+		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonFlitCore},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -361,7 +394,10 @@ func init() {
 		version, newFromGitHub(
 			"cpburnz/python-pathspec",
 			"v"+version, checksum,
-		), nil, nil, P{PythonFlitCore},
+		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonFlitCore},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -377,7 +413,10 @@ func init() {
 		version, newFromGitHub(
 			"pypa/trove-classifiers",
 			version, checksum,
-		), nil, nil, P{PythonSetuptools},
+		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonSetuptools},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -397,7 +436,10 @@ func init() {
 			Env: []string{
 				"SETUPTOOLS_SCM_PRETEND_VERSION_FOR_PLUGGY=" + version,
 			},
-		}, nil, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
+		}, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -414,7 +456,10 @@ func init() {
 			"pypa/hatch",
 			"hatch-v"+version, checksum,
 		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// upstream has other unused packages with many dependencies
 			Append: []string{"backend"},
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
 		}, nil,
 		PythonPackaging,
 		PythonPathspec,
@@ -435,7 +480,10 @@ func init() {
 		version, newFromGitHub(
 			"pygments/pygments",
 			version, checksum,
-		), nil, nil, P{PythonHatchling},
+		), nil, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonHatchling},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -455,7 +503,10 @@ func init() {
 			Env: []string{
 				"SETUPTOOLS_SCM_PRETEND_VERSION_FOR_INICONFIG=" + version,
 			},
-		}, nil, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
+		}, &PipHelper{
+			// pytest circular dependency
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -475,7 +526,10 @@ func init() {
 			Env: []string{
 				"SETUPTOOLS_SCM_PRETEND_VERSION_FOR_PYTEST=" + version,
 			},
-		}, nil, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
+		}, &PipHelper{
+			// many dependencies
+			SkipCheck: true,
+		}, P{PythonSetuptoolsSCM},
 		PythonIniConfig,
 		PythonPackaging,
 		PythonPluggy,
@@ -496,13 +550,9 @@ func init() {
 			"pallets/markupsafe",
 			version, checksum,
 		), nil, &PipHelper{
-			EnterSource: true,
-			Install:     true,
-			Script:      "pytest",
-		}, P{
-			PythonSetuptools,
-			PythonPyTest,
-		},
+			// ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'markupsafe'
+			Install: true,
+		}, P{PythonSetuptools},
 	)
 }