diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 5d1af3e9f0b04..8ac16676401b9 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 include README.rst
 graft gcloud
 global-exclude *.pyc
+recursive-exclude system_tests *
diff --git a/scripts/attempt_system_tests.py b/scripts/attempt_system_tests.py
index b88cdcd165e04..b880755fe6b4f 100644
--- a/scripts/attempt_system_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/attempt_system_tests.py
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
-from system_tests.run_system_test import run_module_tests
-
-
 MODULES = (
     'datastore',
     'storage',
@@ -36,8 +33,8 @@
     'bigquery',
 )
 SCRIPTS_DIR = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-ENCRYPTED_KEYFILE = os.path.abspath(
-    os.path.join(SCRIPTS_DIR, '..', 'system_tests', 'key.json.enc'))
+ROOT_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(SCRIPTS_DIR, '..'))
+ENCRYPTED_KEYFILE = os.path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'system_tests', 'key.json.enc')
 
 
 def check_environment():
@@ -105,6 +102,9 @@ def prepare_to_run():
 def main():
     """Run all the system tests if necessary."""
     prepare_to_run()
+
+    sys.path.append(ROOT_DIR)
+    from system_tests.run_system_test import run_module_tests
     for module in MODULES:
         run_module_tests(module)