diff --git a/pylibfdt/meson.build b/pylibfdt/meson.build
index 978c53f..6157f8d 100644
--- a/pylibfdt/meson.build
+++ b/pylibfdt/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pylibfdt = custom_target(
   input: 'libfdt.i',
   depends: libfdt,
   output: '_libfdt.so',
-  command: [setup_py, 'build_ext', '--build-lib=' + meson.current_build_dir()],
+  command: [setup_py, 'build_ext'],
   build_by_default: true,
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/run_tests.sh b/tests/run_tests.sh
index c5d6a88..937b128 100755
--- a/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run_tests.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ if [ -n "$NO_PYTHON" ]; then
         no_python=false
     fi
 else
-    if [ -f ../pylibfdt/_libfdt.so ] || [ -f ../pylibfdt/_libfdt.cpython-3*.so ]; then
+    if [ -f ../pylibfdt/_libfdt.so ] \
+            || [ -f ../pylibfdt/_libfdt.cpython-3*.so ] \
+            || [ -f ../build/lib.*/_libfdt.cpython-3*.so ]; then
         no_python=false
     else
         no_python=true
@@ -61,6 +63,16 @@ else
     export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$TEST_LIBDIR"
 fi
 
+# Find the python module that distutils builds under a machine-specific path
+PYLIBFDT_BUILD=$(echo ../build/lib.*)
+if [ -e "$PYLIBFDT_BUILD" ]; then
+    if [ -n "$PYTHONPATH" ]; then
+        export PYTHONPATH="$PYTHONPATH:$PYLIBFDT_BUILD"
+    else
+        export PYTHONPATH="$PYLIBFDT_BUILD"
+    fi
+fi
+
 export QUIET_TEST=1
 STOP_ON_FAIL=0