diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/default.nix
index 1b6be818b936..b4469d714dbc 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/default.nix
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
   lib,
   buildPythonPackage,
   fetchFromGitHub,
+  pytestCheckHook,
+  replaceVars,
   setuptools,
   rich,
   rclone,
+  writableTmpDirAsHomeHook,
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
@@ -19,15 +22,40 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     hash = "sha256-vvsiXS3uI0TcL+X8+75BQmycrF+EGIgQE1dmGef35rI=";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    (replaceVars ./hardcode-rclone-path.patch {
+      rclone = lib.getExe rclone;
+    })
+  ];
+
   build-system = [ setuptools ];
 
   dependencies = [
-    rclone
     rich
   ];
 
-  # tests require working internet connection
-  doCheck = false;
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytestCheckHook
+    writableTmpDirAsHomeHook
+  ];
+
+  preCheck = ''
+    # Unlike upstream we don't actually run an S3 server for testing.
+    # See https://github.com/Johannes11833/rclone_python/blob/master/launch_test_server.sh
+    mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/rclone"
+    cat > "$HOME/.config/rclone/rclone.conf" <<EOF
+    [test_server_s3]
+    type = combine
+    upstreams = "testdir=$(mktemp -d)"
+    EOF
+  '';
+
+  disabledTestPaths = [
+    # test requires a remote that supports public links
+    "tests/test_link.py"
+    # test looks up latest version on rclone.org
+    "tests/test_version.py"
+  ];
 
   pythonImportsCheck = [ "rclone_python" ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/hardcode-rclone-path.patch b/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/hardcode-rclone-path.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..238f92c619d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/rclone-python/hardcode-rclone-path.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+diff --git a/rclone_python/rclone.py b/rclone_python/rclone.py
+index da399b4..e05365a 100644
+--- a/rclone_python/rclone.py
++++ b/rclone_python/rclone.py
+@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def is_installed() -> bool:
+     """
+     :return: True if rclone is correctly installed on the system.
+     """
+-    return which("rclone") is not None
++    return True
+ 
+ 
+ @__check_installed
+@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ def copy(
+         in_path,
+         out_path,
+         ignore_existing=ignore_existing,
+-        command="rclone copy",
++        command="@rclone@ copy",
+         command_descr="Copying",
+         show_progress=show_progress,
+         listener=listener,
+@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ def copyto(
+         in_path,
+         out_path,
+         ignore_existing=ignore_existing,
+-        command="rclone copyto",
++        command="@rclone@ copyto",
+         command_descr="Copying",
+         show_progress=show_progress,
+         listener=listener,
+@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ def move(
+         in_path,
+         out_path,
+         ignore_existing=ignore_existing,
+-        command="rclone move",
++        command="@rclone@ move",
+         command_descr="Moving",
+         show_progress=show_progress,
+         listener=listener,
+@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ def moveto(
+         in_path,
+         out_path,
+         ignore_existing=ignore_existing,
+-        command="rclone moveto",
++        command="@rclone@ moveto",
+         command_descr="Moving",
+         show_progress=show_progress,
+         listener=listener,
+@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def sync(
+     _rclone_transfer_operation(
+         src_path,
+         dest_path,
+-        command="rclone sync",
++        command="@rclone@ sync",
+         command_descr="Syncing",
+         show_progress=show_progress,
+         listener=listener,
+diff --git a/rclone_python/scripts/get_version.py b/rclone_python/scripts/get_version.py
+index b1d30fd..bc00cad 100644
+--- a/rclone_python/scripts/get_version.py
++++ b/rclone_python/scripts/get_version.py
+@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ from subprocess import check_output
+ 
+ 
+ def get_version():
+-    stdout = check_output("rclone version", shell=True, encoding="utf8")
++    stdout = check_output("@rclone@ version", shell=True, encoding="utf8")
+ 
+     return stdout.split("\n")[0].replace("rclone ", "")
+diff --git a/rclone_python/scripts/update_hash_types.py b/rclone_python/scripts/update_hash_types.py
+index 92fbd0a..ef963cf 100644
+--- a/rclone_python/scripts/update_hash_types.py
++++ b/rclone_python/scripts/update_hash_types.py
+@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def update_hashes(output_path: str):
+     """
+ 
+     # get all supported backends
+-    rclone_output = sp.check_output("rclone hashsum", shell=True, encoding="utf8")
++    rclone_output = sp.check_output("@rclone@ hashsum", shell=True, encoding="utf8")
+     lines = rclone_output.splitlines()
+ 
+     hashes = []
+diff --git a/rclone_python/utils.py b/rclone_python/utils.py
+index d4a8413..1b29bd8 100644
+--- a/rclone_python/utils.py
++++ b/rclone_python/utils.py
+@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ def run_rclone_cmd(
+     # otherwise the default rclone config path is used:
+     config = Config()
+     if config.config_path is not None:
+-        base_command = f"rclone --config={config.config_path}"
++        base_command = f"@rclone@ --config={config.config_path}"
+     else:
+-        base_command = "rclone"
++        base_command = "@rclone@"
+ 
+     # add optional arguments and flags to the command
+     args_str = args2string(args)
+diff --git a/tests/test_copy.py b/tests/test_copy.py
+index 4ded5fa..1cae53b 100644
+--- a/tests/test_copy.py
++++ b/tests/test_copy.py
+@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ def create_local_file(
+ @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+     "wrapper_command,rclone_command",
+     [
+-        (rclone.copy, "rclone copy"),
+-        (rclone.copyto, "rclone copyto"),
+-        (rclone.sync, "rclone sync"),
+-        (rclone.move, "rclone move"),
+-        (rclone.moveto, "rclone moveto"),
++        (rclone.copy, "@rclone@ copy"),
++        (rclone.copyto, "@rclone@ copyto"),
++        (rclone.sync, "@rclone@ sync"),
++        (rclone.move, "@rclone@ move"),
++        (rclone.moveto, "@rclone@ moveto"),
+     ],
+ )
+ def test_rclone_command_called(wrapper_command: Callable, rclone_command: str):
+@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def test_rclone_command_called(wrapper_command: Callable, rclone_command: str):
+         rclone.utils.subprocess,
+         "Popen",
+         return_value=subprocess.Popen(
+-            "rclone help", stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True
++            "@rclone@ help", stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True
+         ),
+     ) as mock:
+         wrapper_command("nothing/not_a.file", "fake_remote:unicorn/folder")