diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/colorcet/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/colorcet/default.nix
index 83095a6a5626..6a7328aaf73c 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/colorcet/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/colorcet/default.nix
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   ];
 
   checkPhase = ''
+    export HOME=$(mktemp -d)
+    mkdir -p $HOME/.config/matplotlib
+    echo "backend: ps" > $HOME/.config/matplotlib/matplotlibrc
+
     pytest colorcet
   '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pytest-mpl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pytest-mpl/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c3bd4c59f049
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pytest-mpl/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, pytest
+, matplotlib
+, nose
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "pytest-mpl";
+  version = "0.10";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    sha256 = "7006e63bf1ca9c50bea3d189c0f862751a16ce40bb373197b218f57af5b837c0";
+  };
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    matplotlib
+    nose
+  ];
+
+  checkInputs = [
+    pytest
+  ];
+
+  checkPhase = ''
+    pytest
+  '';
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "pytest plugin to help with testing figures output from Matplotlib";
+    homepage = https://github.com/matplotlib/pytest-mpl;
+    license = licenses.bsd3;
+    maintainers = [ maintainers.costrouc ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 5b3776da5c30..dcefe43d0c9f 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -1917,6 +1917,8 @@ in {
 
   pytest-isort = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pytest-isort { };
 
+  pytest-mpl = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pytest-mpl { };
+
   pytest-mock = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pytest-mock { };
 
   pytest-timeout = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pytest-timeout { };