diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index cf75915b2318e0..7c665b467567ba 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -79,6 +79,16 @@ new_local_repository(
     path = "./third_party/protobuf/3.6.1/",
 )
 
+# This is a mock version of bazelbuild/rules_python that contains only
+# @rules_python//python:defs.bzl. It is used by protobuf.
+# TODO(#9029): We could potentially replace this with the real @rules_python.
+new_local_repository(
+    name = "rules_python",
+    path = "./third_party/rules_python",
+    build_file = "//third_party/rules_python:BUILD",
+    workspace_file = "//third_party/rules_python:rules_python.WORKSPACE",
+)
+
 local_repository(
     name = "googleapis",
     path = "./third_party/googleapis/",
diff --git a/src/test/shell/integration/modify_execution_info_test.sh b/src/test/shell/integration/modify_execution_info_test.sh
index ed29252ec54c5d..17ea834eca70aa 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/integration/modify_execution_info_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/integration/modify_execution_info_test.sh
@@ -158,6 +158,16 @@ new_local_repository(
     path = "$(dirname $(rlocation io_bazel/third_party/protobuf/3.6.1/BUILD))",
     build_file = "$(rlocation io_bazel/third_party/protobuf/3.6.1/BUILD)",
 )
+
+# TODO(#9029): May require some adjustment if/when we depend on the real
+# @rules_python in the real source tree, since this third_party/ package won't
+# be available.
+new_local_repository(
+    name = "rules_python",
+    path = "$(dirname $(rlocation io_bazel/third_party/rules_python/rules_python.WORKSPACE))",
+    build_file = "$(rlocation io_bazel/third_party/rules_python/BUILD)",
+    workspace_file = "$(rlocation io_bazel/third_party/rules_python/rules_python.WORKSPACE)",
+)
 EOF
   fi
   local pkg="${FUNCNAME[0]}"