diff --git a/Containerfile.tests b/Containerfile.tests
deleted file mode 100644
index bf51aeb..0000000
--- a/Containerfile.tests
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-ARG BASE_IMAGE
-FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}
-
-WORKDIR /workdir
-COPY . .
-
-ARG INSTALL_DEPS_CMD
-RUN sh -c "${INSTALL_DEPS_CMD}"
-
-RUN python3 -m pip install tox
-
-CMD ["tox", "--workdir", "/workdir"]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1f38712..0317183 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ CONTAINER_ENGINE ?= $(shell command -v podman 2> /dev/null || echo docker)
 test-image:
 	$(CONTAINER_ENGINE) build --rm \
 		--tag $(TEST_IMAGE) \
-		-f Containerfile.tests \
+		-f tests/Containerfile \
 		--build-arg BASE_IMAGE=$(BASE_IMAGE) \
 		--build-arg INSTALL_DEPS_CMD="$(INSTALL_DEPS_CMD)" \
 		.
diff --git a/tests/Containerfile b/tests/Containerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec9f496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Containerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+ARG BASE_IMAGE
+FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}
+
+COPY tests/entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
+
+WORKDIR /rpm-shim
+COPY . .
+
+ARG INSTALL_DEPS_CMD
+RUN sh -c "${INSTALL_DEPS_CMD}"
+
+RUN python3 -m pip install tox build
+
+WORKDIR /
+ENTRYPOINT ["/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/tests/entrypoint.sh b/tests/entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7187682
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# fail early
+set -e
+
+
+### test import in virtualenvs
+
+pushd /rpm-shim
+tox
+popd
+
+
+### test import on local system
+
+PYTHON=python3
+PLATFORM_PYTHON=/usr/libexec/platform-python
+if [ ! -x "${PYTHON}" -a -x "${PLATFORM_PYTHON}" ]; then
+    # fallback to platform-python
+    PYTHON="${PLATFORM_PYTHON}"
+fi
+
+${PYTHON} -m build --wheel /rpm-shim
+# failure to install is most likely caused by existing RPM bindings, consider it a success
+${PYTHON} -m pip install /rpm-shim/dist/*.whl || true
+${PYTHON} /rpm-shim/tests/import.py
+${PYTHON} -m pip check
diff --git a/tests/import.py b/tests/import.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..006c5d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Copyright Contributors to the Packit project.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+import logging
+
+# enable debug logging
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+
+
+def test():
+    import rpm
+
+    # sanity check
+    print("RPM conf dir:", rpm.expandMacro("%getconfdir"))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    test()
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index e7ec710..bc936b6 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 [tox]
 envlist = py{36,37,38,39,310,311}
 skip_missing_interpreters = true
-skipsdist = true
 isolated_build = true
 
 [testenv]
 recreate = true
-usedevelop = true
 sitepackages = false
 # pip < 19 requires setup.py
 deps = pip >= 19
 setenv = PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
 commands =
-    python -c "import rpm"
+    python tests/import.py
     python -m pip check