diff --git a/test/stdlib/2.6-exclude.sh b/test/stdlib/2.6-exclude.sh
index 29862326..5653f32f 100644
--- a/test/stdlib/2.6-exclude.sh
+++ b/test/stdlib/2.6-exclude.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@ SKIP_TESTS=(
     #   assert 0  # shouldn't reach here.
     [test_shutil.py]=1
 
-    [test___all__.py]=1  # it fails on its own
     [test___all__.py]=1 # it fails on its own
-    [test_aepack.py]=1 # Fails on its own
     [test_aepack.py]=1 # it fails on its own
     [test_al.py]=1 # it fails on its own
     [test_anydbm.py]=1 # it fails on its own
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ SKIP_TESTS=(
     [test_ossaudiodev.py]=1 # it fails on its own
 
     [test_pep277.py]=1 # it fails on its own
-    [test_pyclbr.py]=1 # Investigate
+    [test_pyclbr.py]=1 # it fails on its own
     [test_py3kwarn.py]=1 # it fails on its own
 
     [test_scriptpackages.py]=1 # it fails on its own
@@ -85,7 +83,6 @@ SKIP_TESTS=(
 
     [test_zipimport_support.py]=1
     [test_zipfile64.py]=1  # Skip Long test
-    [test_zlib.py]=1  #
     # .pyenv/versions/2.6.9/lib/python2.6/lib2to3/refactor.pyc
     # .pyenv/versions/2.6.9/lib/python2.6/pyclbr.pyc
 )
diff --git a/test/stdlib/runtests.sh b/test/stdlib/runtests.sh
index 1b3e579d..01891309 100755
--- a/test/stdlib/runtests.sh
+++ b/test/stdlib/runtests.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 me=${BASH_SOURCE[0]}
 
+# Note: for 2.6 sometimes we need to set PYTHON=pytest
+PYTHON=${PYTHON:-python}
+
 typeset -i BATCH=${BATCH:-0}
 if (( ! BATCH )) ; then
     isatty=$(/usr/bin/tty 2>/dev/null)
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@ for file in $files; do
     if [ ! -r $file ]; then
 	echo "Skipping test $file -- not readable. Does it exist?"
 	continue
-    elif ! python $file >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+    elif ! $PYTHON $file >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 	echo "Skipping test $file -- it fails on its own"
 	continue
     fi
@@ -214,7 +217,7 @@ for file in $files; do
     rc=$?
     if (( rc == 0 )) ; then
 	echo ========== $(date +%X) Running $file ===========
-	timeout_cmd python $file
+	timeout_cmd $PYTHON $file
 	rc=$?
     else
 	echo ======= Skipping $file due to compile/decompile errors ========