diff --git a/psutil/tests/__init__.py b/psutil/tests/__init__.py
index 72f3076ea..cb46a463e 100644
--- a/psutil/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/psutil/tests/__init__.py
@@ -321,15 +321,14 @@ def create_proc_children_pair():
     _TESTFN2 = os.path.basename(_TESTFN) + '2'  # need to be relative
     s = textwrap.dedent("""\
         import subprocess, os, sys, time
-        PYTHON_EXE = os.path.realpath(sys.executable)
         s = "import os, time;"
         s += "f = open('%s', 'w');"
         s += "f.write(str(os.getpid()));"
         s += "f.close();"
         s += "time.sleep(60);"
-        subprocess.Popen([PYTHON_EXE, '-c', s])
+        subprocess.Popen(['%s', '-c', s])
         time.sleep(60)
-        """ % _TESTFN2)
+        """ % (_TESTFN2, PYTHON_EXE))
     # On Windows if we create a subprocess with CREATE_NO_WINDOW flag
     # set (which is the default) a "conhost.exe" extra process will be
     # spawned as a child. We don't want that.
@@ -721,7 +720,7 @@ def create_exe(outpath, c_code=None):
             safe_rmpath(f.name)
     else:
         # copy python executable
-        shutil.copyfile(sys.executable, outpath)
+        shutil.copyfile(PYTHON_EXE, outpath)
         if POSIX:
             st = os.stat(outpath)
             os.chmod(outpath, st.st_mode | stat.S_IEXEC)
diff --git a/psutil/tests/__main__.py b/psutil/tests/__main__.py
index 475e6b81c..2cdf5c425 100755
--- a/psutil/tests/__main__.py
+++ b/psutil/tests/__main__.py
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
 except ImportError:
     from urllib2 import urlopen
 
+from psutil.tests import PYTHON_EXE
 from psutil.tests import run_suite
 
 
 HERE = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-PYTHON = os.path.basename(sys.executable)
 GET_PIP_URL = "https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py"
 TEST_DEPS = []
 if sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 6):
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def install_pip():
             f.flush()
 
             print("installing pip")
-            code = os.system('%s %s --user' % (sys.executable, f.name))
+            code = os.system('%s %s --user' % (PYTHON_EXE, f.name))
             return code
 
 
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ def install_test_deps(deps=None):
         opts = "--user" if not is_venv else ""
         install_pip()
         code = os.system('%s -m pip install %s --upgrade %s' % (
-            sys.executable, opts, " ".join(deps)))
+            PYTHON_EXE, opts, " ".join(deps)))
         return code
 
 
 def main():
-    usage = "%s -m psutil.tests [opts]" % PYTHON
+    usage = "%s -m psutil.tests [opts]" % PYTHON_EXE
     parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage, description="run unit tests")
     parser.add_option("-i", "--install-deps",
                       action="store_true", default=False,
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ def main():
             try:
                 __import__(dep.split("==")[0])
             except ImportError:
-                sys.exit("%r lib is not installed; run:\n"
-                         "%s -m psutil.tests --install-deps" % (dep, PYTHON))
+                sys.exit("%r lib is not installed; run %s -m psutil.tests "
+                         "--install-deps" % (dep, PYTHON_EXE))
         run_suite()
 
 
diff --git a/psutil/tests/test_misc.py b/psutil/tests/test_misc.py
index 85bab84c7..43b589eb3 100755
--- a/psutil/tests/test_misc.py
+++ b/psutil/tests/test_misc.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import pickle
 import socket
 import stat
-import sys
 
 from psutil import LINUX
 from psutil import POSIX
@@ -49,6 +48,7 @@
 from psutil.tests import import_module_by_path
 from psutil.tests import is_namedtuple
 from psutil.tests import mock
+from psutil.tests import PYTHON_EXE
 from psutil.tests import reap_children
 from psutil.tests import reload_module
 from psutil.tests import retry
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ def assert_stdout(exe, args=None, **kwds):
         if args:
             exe = exe + ' ' + args
         try:
-            out = sh(sys.executable + ' ' + exe, **kwds).strip()
+            out = sh(PYTHON_EXE + ' ' + exe, **kwds).strip()
         except RuntimeError as err:
             if 'AccessDenied' in str(err):
                 return str(err)