diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
index a2310ec5..c4dd716d 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ class HelpersTest(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace(' 1, 2 , '), ['1', '2'])
 
 
+def _getSysPythonVersion():
+	import subprocess, locale
+	sysVerCmd = "python -c 'import sys; print(tuple(sys.version_info))'"
+	if sys.version_info >= (2,7):
+		sysVer = subprocess.check_output(sysVerCmd, shell=True)
+	else:
+		sysVer = subprocess.Popen(sysVerCmd, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).stdout.read()
+	if sys.version_info >= (3,):
+		sysVer = sysVer.decode(locale.getpreferredencoding(), 'replace')
+	return str(sysVer).rstrip()
+
 class SetupTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
 	def setUp(self):
@@ -75,6 +86,12 @@ class SetupTest(unittest.TestCase):
 			raise unittest.SkipTest(
 				"Seems to be running not out of source distribution"
 				" -- cannot locate setup.py")
+		# compare current version of python installed resp. active one:
+		sysVer = _getSysPythonVersion()
+		if sysVer != str(tuple(sys.version_info)):
+			raise unittest.SkipTest(
+				"Seems to be running with python distribution %s"
+				" -- install can be tested only with system distribution %s" % (str(tuple(sys.version_info)), sysVer))
 
 	def testSetupInstallRoot(self):
 		if not self.setup: