diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/default.nix
index a4c6b99b07f4..7b2731595629 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { lib
 , buildPythonPackage
+, callPackage
 , flit
-, isPy3k
 , toml
 , pytestCheckHook
 , testpath
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   version = "3.2.0";
   format = "pyproject";
 
+  outputs = [
+    "out"
+    "testsout"
+  ];
+
   inherit (flit) src patches;
 
   preConfigure = ''
@@ -22,19 +27,23 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     toml
   ];
 
-  checkInputs = [
-    pytestCheckHook
-    testpath
-  ];
+  postInstall = ''
+    mkdir $testsout
+    cp -R ../tests $testsout/tests
+  '';
+
+  # check in passthru.tests.pytest to escape infinite recursion with setuptools-scm
+  doCheck = false;
 
   passthru.tests = {
     inherit flit;
+    pytest = callPackage ./tests.nix { };
   };
 
-  meta = {
+  meta = with lib; {
     description = "Distribution-building parts of Flit. See flit package for more information";
     homepage = "https://github.com/takluyver/flit";
-    license = lib.licenses.bsd3;
-    maintainers = [ lib.maintainers.fridh ];
+    license = licenses.bsd3;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ fridh SuperSandro2000 ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/tests.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/tests.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0fd13e80cb12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/flit-core/tests.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{ buildPythonPackage
+, flit
+, flit-core
+, pytestCheckHook
+, testpath
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "flit-core";
+  inherit (flit-core) version;
+
+  src = flit-core.testsout;
+
+  dontBuild = true;
+  dontInstall = true;
+
+  checkInputs = [
+    flit
+    pytestCheckHook
+    testpath
+  ];
+}