diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index dbd834c0726..a3ac8b686a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -107,3 +107,11 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{github.token}}
           RELEASE_PLEASE_TAG_NAME: ${{steps.release.outputs.tag_name}}
         if: steps.release.outputs.release_created
+
+  distcheck-macos:
+    runs-on: macos-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - run: env PYTESTFLAGS="--verbose -p no:cacheprovider --color=yes" test/macos-script.sh
diff --git a/test/macos-script.sh b/test/macos-script.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..d40142f66b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/macos-script.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh -eux
+
+# Note that this script is intended to be run only in throwaway environments;
+# it may install undesirable things to system locations (if it succeeds in
+# that).
+
+brew install \
+    automake \
+    bash
+
+python3 -m venv venv
+#shellcheck disable=SC1091
+source venv/bin/activate
+python3 -m pip install -r test/requirements.txt
+
+export bashcomp_bash=bash
+env
+
+autoreconf -i
+./configure
+make -j
+
+make distcheck \
+    PYTESTFLAGS="${PYTESTFLAGS---verbose -p no:cacheprovider --numprocesses=auto --dist=loadfile}"
diff --git a/test/t/conftest.py b/test/t/conftest.py
index dbd139df7ca..59f27d68dd7 100644
--- a/test/t/conftest.py
+++ b/test/t/conftest.py
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ def startswith(self, prefix: str) -> bool:
         return self.output.startswith(prefix)
 
     def _items(self) -> List[str]:
-        return [x.strip() for x in self.output.strip().splitlines()]
+        return [x.strip() for x in self.output.strip().splitlines() if x]
 
     def __eq__(self, expected: object) -> bool:
         """
diff --git a/test/t/test_tar.py b/test/t/test_tar.py
index 73db7c30905..8d03da296f0 100644
--- a/test/t/test_tar.py
+++ b/test/t/test_tar.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def test_24(self, completion):
 
     # Test compression detection of gnu style options
     @pytest.mark.complete("tar --extract --xz --file ", cwd="tar")
-    def test_25(self, completion):
+    def test_25(self, completion, gnu_tar):
         assert completion == "archive.tar.xz dir/ dir2/".split()
 
     # TODO: "tar tf escape.tar a/b"
diff --git a/test/t/test_vipw.py b/test/t/test_vipw.py
index b78fcbda8b0..07b454bff4f 100644
--- a/test/t/test_vipw.py
+++ b/test/t/test_vipw.py
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
-import sys
-
 import pytest
 
 
 class TestVipw:
     @pytest.mark.complete("vipw -", require_cmd=True)
     def test_1(self, completion):
-        if sys.platform == "darwin":
-            assert not completion  # takes no options
-        else:
-            assert completion
+        assert completion
diff --git a/test/t/unit/test_unit_dequote.py b/test/t/unit/test_unit_dequote.py
index 117a487758d..e2a70d85910 100644
--- a/test/t/unit/test_unit_dequote.py
+++ b/test/t/unit/test_unit_dequote.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ def test_5_brace(self, bash, functions):
         assert output.strip() == "<a1><a2><a3>"
 
     def test_6_glob(self, bash, functions):
+        LC_out = assert_bash_exec(bash, "env | grep LC_", want_output=True)
+        print(f"LC_ vars:\n\n{LC_out}\n")
         output = assert_bash_exec(bash, "__tester 'a?b'", want_output=True)
         assert output.strip() == "<a b><a$b><a&b><a'b>"
 
diff --git a/test/t/unit/test_unit_load.py b/test/t/unit/test_unit_load.py
index 5fcfda2dfe6..53ab798570f 100644
--- a/test/t/unit/test_unit_load.py
+++ b/test/t/unit/test_unit_load.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import shutil
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -24,15 +25,15 @@ def fixture_dir(self, request, bash):
         set up symbolic links.
         """
 
-        tmpdir = prepare_fixture_dir(request, files=[], dirs=[])
-        assert_bash_exec(bash, "cp -R %s/* %s/" % (os.getcwd(), tmpdir))
-        assert_bash_exec(bash, "mkdir -p %s/bin" % tmpdir)
-        assert_bash_exec(
-            bash, "ln -sf ../prefix1/bin/cmd1 %s/bin/cmd1" % tmpdir
-        )
-        assert_bash_exec(
-            bash, "ln -sf ../prefix1/sbin/cmd2 %s/bin/cmd2" % tmpdir
-        )
+        tmpdir = prepare_fixture_dir(request, files=[], dirs=["bin"])
+        try:
+            shutil.copytree(os.getcwd(), str(tmpdir), dirs_exist_ok=True)
+        except TypeError:  # For python <= 3.7
+            from distutils import dir_util  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
+
+            dir_util.copy_tree(os.getcwd(), str(tmpdir))
+        os.symlink("../prefix1/bin/cmd1", f"{tmpdir}/bin/cmd1")
+        os.symlink("../prefix1/sbin/cmd2", f"{tmpdir}/bin/cmd2")
         return str(tmpdir)
 
     def test_userdir_1(self, bash, fixture_dir):