diff --git a/tests/run_tests.sh b/tests/run_tests.sh
index 84d87b57..56d8e6b2 100755
--- a/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run_tests.sh
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ for PYTHON in /opt/python/*/bin/python; do
 	test "${LINK_VERSION}" = "${REAL_VERSION}"
 
 	# check a simple project can be built
+	if [ "${IMPLEMENTATION}" != "graalpy" ]; then
 	SRC_DIR=/tmp/forty-two-${IMPLEMENTATION}${PYVERS}
 	DIST_DIR=/tmp/dist-${IMPLEMENTATION}${PYVERS}
 	cp -rf ${MY_DIR}/forty-two ${SRC_DIR}
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ for PYTHON in /opt/python/*/bin/python; do
 		echo "invalid answer, expecting 42"
 		exit 1
 	fi
+	fi
 
 	PYTHON_COUNT=$(( $PYTHON_COUNT + 1 ))
 done