diff --git a/python-sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp.spec b/python-sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp.spec
index 950cb88..762051d 100644
--- a/python-sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp.spec
+++ b/python-sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp.spec
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 %global pypi_name sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp
 
-# when bootstrapping sphinx, we cannot run tests yet
+# when bootstrapping sphinx, we cannot even run an import check
+%bcond check 1
 # RHEL does not include html5lib, without which the tests fail
-%bcond check %{undefined rhel}
+%bcond tests %[%{with check} && %{undefined rhel}]
 
 Name:           python-%{pypi_name}
 Version:        2.0.0
@@ -21,10 +22,12 @@ BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-devel
 BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-setuptools
 
 %if %{with check}
-BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-pytest
 BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-sphinx >= 1:2
+%if %{with tests}
+BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-pytest
 BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-html5lib
 %endif
+%endif
 
 %description
 sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp is a sphinx extension which renders HTML help files.
@@ -71,8 +74,11 @@ popd
 
 %if %{with check}
 %check
+%py3_check_import sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp
+%if %{with tests}
 %{__python3} -m pytest
 %endif
+%endif
 
 
 %files -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-%{pypi_name} -f sphinxcontrib.htmlhelp.lang