diff --git a/lib/utils.pm b/lib/utils.pm
index 24b2388e..47baf48a 100644
--- a/lib/utils.pm
+++ b/lib/utils.pm
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ sub _repo_setup_compose {
     if (get_var("MODULAR")) {
         # dnf config-manager not currently available on modular composes
         assert_script_run "sed -i -e 's,enabled=1,enabled=0,g' /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-modular-server-updates-testing.repo /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-modular-server-updates.repo";
+        # add a disabled non-modular release repo; we have to use this
+        # to install some things we need for testing which aren't in
+        # Modular Server composes
+        assert_script_run 'printf "[fedora]\nname=Fedora $releasever - $basearch\nmetalink=https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/metalink?repo=fedora-$releasever&arch=$basearch\nenabled=0\nmetadata_expire=7d\nrepo_gpgcheck=0\ntype=rpm\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-$releasever-$basearch\nskip_if_unavailable=True" > /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo';
         # FIXME use the compose repo, as per below - easier if the repo
         # files had commented-out baseurl lines
     }
diff --git a/tests/role_deploy_domain_controller.pm b/tests/role_deploy_domain_controller.pm
index cee17e8f..f349dbd0 100644
--- a/tests/role_deploy_domain_controller.pm
+++ b/tests/role_deploy_domain_controller.pm
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ sub run {
     # test (in which case we're on the 'old' release at this point;
     # one of the upgrade test modules does repo_setup later)
     repo_setup() unless get_var("UPGRADE");
+    # use --enablerepo=fedora for Modular compose testing (we need to
+    # create and use a non-Modular repo to get some packages which
+    # aren't in Modular Server composes)
+    my $extraparams = '';
+    $extraparams = '--enablerepo=fedora' if (get_var("MODULAR"));
     # we need a lot of entropy for this, and we don't care how good
     # it is, so let's use haveged
-    unless (get_var("MODULAR")) {
-        assert_script_run 'dnf -y install haveged', 300;
-        assert_script_run 'systemctl start haveged.service';
-    }
+    assert_script_run "dnf ${extraparams} -y install haveged", 300;
+    assert_script_run 'systemctl start haveged.service';
     # read DNS server IPs from host's /etc/resolv.conf for passing to
     # rolectl
     my @forwards = get_host_dns();
diff --git a/tests/server_cockpit_default.pm b/tests/server_cockpit_default.pm
index 0a68b734..8a939f68 100644
--- a/tests/server_cockpit_default.pm
+++ b/tests/server_cockpit_default.pm
@@ -11,13 +11,18 @@ sub run {
     assert_script_run 'firewall-cmd --query-service cockpit';
     # use compose repo, disable u-t, etc.
     repo_setup();
+    # use --enablerepo=fedora for Modular compose testing (we need to
+    # create and use a non-Modular repo to get some packages which
+    # aren't in Modular Server composes)
+    my $extraparams = '';
+    $extraparams = '--enablerepo=fedora' if (get_var("MODULAR"));
     # install a desktop and firefox so we can actually try it
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y groupinstall "base-x"', 300;
+    assert_script_run "dnf ${extraparams} -y groupinstall 'base-x'", 300;
     # FIXME: this should probably be in base-x...X seems to fail without
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y install libglvnd-egl', 120;
+    assert_script_run "dnf ${extraparams} -y install libglvnd-egl", 120;
     # try to avoid random weird font selection happening
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y install dejavu-sans-fonts dejavu-sans-mono-fonts dejavu-serif-fonts', 120;
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y install firefox', 120;
+    assert_script_run "dnf ${extraparams} -y install dejavu-sans-fonts dejavu-sans-mono-fonts dejavu-serif-fonts", 120;
+    assert_script_run "dnf ${extraparams} -y install firefox", 120;
     start_cockpit(0);
     # quit firefox (return to console)
     send_key "ctrl-q";