diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/re/redo-apenwarr/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/re/redo-apenwarr/package.nix
index 38aae496b40d..71b0967cd2df 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/re/redo-apenwarr/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/re/redo-apenwarr/package.nix
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     # See https://github.com/apenwarr/redo/pull/47
     substituteInPlace minimal/do \
       --replace-fail 'cd "$dodir"' 'cd "''${dodir:-.}"'
+
+    # the tests refer to /etc/passwd (as an arbitrarily-chosen absolute-path file that won't change),
+    # but that fails under sandboxing. Replace it with another arbrarily-chosen file that won't change:
+    substituteInPlace t/105-sympath/all.do \
+      --replace-fail "/etc/passwd" "${coreutils}/bin/pwd"
   '';
 
   inherit doCheck;