diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
index 1931867d14f9..4fd53eac6bcf 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ in {
     sqlite = null;
     configd = null;
     tzdata = null;
+    libffi = pkgs.libffiBoot; # without test suite
     stripConfig = true;
     stripIdlelib = true;
     stripTests = true;
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libffi/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libffi/default.nix
index 4332f43c5afb..6a22d585fbc8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libffi/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libffi/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 { lib, stdenv, fetchurl, fetchpatch
 , autoreconfHook
 
+, doCheck ? true # test suite depends on dejagnu which cannot be used during bootstrapping
+, dejagnu
 }:
 
 # Note: this package is used for bootstrapping fetchurl, and thus
@@ -39,6 +41,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   dontStrip = stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform; # Don't run the native `strip' when cross-compiling.
 
+  inherit doCheck;
+
+  checkInputs = [ dejagnu ];
+
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "A foreign function call interface library";
     longDescription = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 012fda8f9eb4..1ef63911d1e1 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -17805,6 +17805,9 @@ with pkgs;
   libffcall = callPackage ../development/libraries/libffcall { };
 
   libffi = callPackage ../development/libraries/libffi { };
+  libffiBoot = libffi.override {
+    doCheck = false;
+  };
 
   libfreeaptx = callPackage ../development/libraries/libfreeaptx { };