diff --git a/build/bin/sage-spkg b/build/bin/sage-spkg
index e2a151b4adc..f4a9d2ef0fa 100755
--- a/build/bin/sage-spkg
+++ b/build/bin/sage-spkg
@@ -788,8 +788,6 @@ run_test_suite() { ###############################################
 # SAGE_INST_LOCAL.  It might make more sense to run the tests before, but the
 # spkg-check scripts were written before use of DESTDIR installs, and so
 # fail in many cases.  This might be good to change later.
-
-if [ "$SAGE_CHECK" = "yes" -o "$SAGE_CHECK" = "warn" ]; then
     if [ -f spkg-check ]; then
         echo "Running the test suite for $PKG_NAME..."
         time ./spkg-check
@@ -807,11 +805,13 @@ if [ "$SAGE_CHECK" = "yes" -o "$SAGE_CHECK" = "warn" ]; then
             TEST_SUITE_RESULT="passed"
             echo "Passed the test suite for $PKG_NAME."
         fi
+    elif [ -f spkg-check.in ]; then
+        echo "The test suite for $PKG_NAME requires the temporary build directory."
+        exit 1
     else
         echo "Package $PKG_NAME has no test suite."
         TEST_SUITE_RESULT="not available"
     fi
-fi
 } ################################################# run_test_suite
 
 write_installation_record() { ####################################
@@ -889,17 +889,21 @@ if [ $INSTALL = 1 ]; then
     extract_the_package
     prepare_for_installation
     actually_build_and_install
-else
-    cd "$SAGE_BUILD_DIR/$PKG_NAME" || exit $?
 fi
 
 if [ $POST_INSTALL = 1 ]; then
+    cd "$SAGE_BUILD_DIR/$PKG_NAME" || exit $?
     unload_destdir
     install_scripts
     post_install
 fi
 
-run_test_suite
+if [ "$SAGE_CHECK" = "yes" -o "$SAGE_CHECK" = "warn" ]; then
+    if ! cd "$SAGE_BUILD_DIR/$PKG_NAME" 2>/dev/null; then
+        cd "$PKG_SCRIPTS" || exit $?
+    fi
+    run_test_suite
+fi
 
 if [ $POST_INSTALL = 1 ]; then
     write_installation_record
diff --git a/build/make/Makefile.in b/build/make/Makefile.in
index aac7a9164a2..47621d2bdc9 100644
--- a/build/make/Makefile.in
+++ b/build/make/Makefile.in
@@ -614,6 +614,11 @@ $(1)-$(4)-no-deps:
 
 $(1)-no-deps: $(1)-$(4)-no-deps
 
+$(1)-$(4)-check:
+	$(PLUS)@sage-logger -p 'PATH=$$(SAGE_SRC)/bin:$$($(4))/bin:$$$$PATH $$(SAGE_SPKG) --check-only $(1)-$(2) $$($(4))' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1)-$(2).log'
+
+$(1)-check: $(1)-$(4)-check
+
 $(1)-$(4)-uninstall:
 	if [ -d '$$($(4))' ]; then \
 	    sage-spkg-uninstall $(if $(filter $(1),$(TOOLCHAIN_DEPS)),--keep-files) \
@@ -760,22 +765,7 @@ $(1)-$(4)-no-deps:
 $(1)-no-deps: $(1)-$(4)-no-deps
 
 $(1)-$(4)-check:
-	$(PLUS)@if [ -x $$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/pkgs/$(1)/spkg-check ]; then \
-	    cd '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/pkgs/$(1)' && \
-		. '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/src/bin/sage-src-env-config' && \
-		. '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/src/bin/sage-env-config' && \
-		. '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/src/bin/sage-env' && \
-		. '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/bin/sage-build-env-config' && \
-		. '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/bin/sage-build-env' && \
-		PKG_BASE="$(1)" \
-		PKG_VER="$(2)" \
-		PKG_NAME="$(1)-$(2)" \
-		SAGE_SPKG_WHEELS=$$($(4))/var/lib/sage/wheels \
-		SAGE_SPKG_SCRIPTS=$$($(4))/var/lib/sage/scripts \
-		SAGE_INST_LOCAL=$$($(4)) \
-		SAGE_CHECK=$$(SAGE_CHECK_$(1)) \
-		sage-logger -p '$$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/pkgs/$(1)/spkg-check' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1)-$(2).log'; \
-	    fi
+	$(PLUS)@sage-logger -p 'PATH=$$(SAGE_SRC)/bin:$$($(4))/bin:$$$$PATH $$(SAGE_SPKG) --check-only $(1)-$(2) $$($(4))' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1)-$(2).log'
 
 $(1)-check: $(1)-$(4)-check