diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-flake8/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-flake8/package.py
index adbdbd32a0..eeb81aa684 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-flake8/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-flake8/package.py
@@ -66,3 +66,7 @@ class PyFlake8(PythonPackage):
 
     # TODO: Add test dependencies
     # depends_on('py-nose', type='test')
+
+    def patch(self):
+        """Filter pytest-runner requirement out of setup.py."""
+        filter_file("['pytest-runner']", "[]", 'setup.py', string=True)
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-mccabe/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-mccabe/package.py
index 54b52c6bdd..a7fabb760a 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-mccabe/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-mccabe/package.py
@@ -47,3 +47,7 @@ class PyMccabe(PythonPackage):
 
     # TODO: Add test dependencies
     # depends_on('py-pytest', type='test')
+
+    def patch(self):
+        """Filter pytest-runner requirement out of setup.py."""
+        filter_file("['pytest-runner']", "[]", 'setup.py', string=True)