diff --git a/var/spack/packages/py-matplotlib/package.py b/var/spack/packages/py-matplotlib/package.py
index f6b9c587fd311ef0d9e38bd9cfd4d72dfc581b9e..04037f004e79209d0fc505d28e36888c8c00ba9a 100644
--- a/var/spack/packages/py-matplotlib/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/packages/py-matplotlib/package.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ class PyMatplotlib(Package):
 
     version('1.4.2', '7d22efb6cce475025733c50487bd8898')
 
-    extends('python')
+    extends('python', ignore=r'bin/nosetests.*$')
+
     depends_on('py-pyside')
     depends_on('py-ipython')
     depends_on('py-pyparsing')
diff --git a/var/spack/packages/py-nose/package.py b/var/spack/packages/py-nose/package.py
index b902a35fbb073831ac28f9dc24ce771c1cd6c909..155019289d5d3e718c6c8fe3ba4a85048c4af9df 100644
--- a/var/spack/packages/py-nose/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/packages/py-nose/package.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class PyNose(Package):
 
     version('1.3.4', '6ed7169887580ddc9a8e16048d38274d')
 
-    extends('python')
+    extends('python', ignore=r'bin/nosetests.*$')
     depends_on('py-setuptools')
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):