diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/sumo/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/sumo/default.nix
index 1b82f1a40105..504d91212874 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/sumo/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/sumo/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
-{ stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchFromGitHub, numpy, scipy, spglib, pymatgen, h5py, matplotlib, seekpath, phonopy }:
+{ stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchFromGitHub, isPy27
+, h5py
+, matplotlib
+, numpy
+, phonopy
+, pymatgen
+, pytest
+, scipy
+, seekpath
+, spglib
+}:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "sumo";
@@ -13,12 +23,20 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   };
 
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ numpy scipy spglib pymatgen h5py matplotlib seekpath phonopy ];
-  
+
+  checkInputs = [ pytest ];
+
+  checkPhase = ''
+    pytest .
+  '';
+
+  # tests have type annotations, can only run on 3.5+
+  doCheck = (!isPy27);
+
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     description = "Toolkit for plotting and analysis of ab initio solid-state calculation data";
-    homepage = https://github.com/SMTG-UCL/sumo;
+    homepage = "https://github.com/SMTG-UCL/sumo";
     license = licenses.mit;
     maintainers = with maintainers; [ psyanticy ];
   };
 }
-