diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/gunicorn/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/gunicorn/default.nix
index 58d5c414cf0a..16c6921cdd6b 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/gunicorn/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/gunicorn/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 { stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchPypi
-, pytest, mock, pytestcov, coverage }:
+, coverage
+, mock
+, pytest
+, pytestcov
+, setuptools
+}:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "gunicorn";
@@ -10,6 +15,8 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     sha256 = "fa2662097c66f920f53f70621c6c58ca4a3c4d3434205e608e121b5b3b71f4f3";
   };
 
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ setuptools ];
+
   checkInputs = [ pytest mock pytestcov coverage ];
 
   prePatch = ''
@@ -17,9 +24,12 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
       --replace "coverage>=4.0,<4.4" "coverage"
   '';
 
-  # Test failures but patch does not apply cleanly
-  # https://github.com/benoitc/gunicorn/commit/f38f717539b1b7296720805b8ae3969c3509b9c1
-  doCheck = false;
+  # better than no tests
+  checkPhase = ''
+    $out/bin/gunicorn --help > /dev/null
+  '';
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [ "gunicorn" ];
 
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     homepage = https://pypi.python.org/pypi/gunicorn;