diff --git a/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix b/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
index 5e0369f4db4..754358cdf29 100644
--- a/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
@@ -199,4 +199,15 @@
       {"$kpathsea","$schemeFull"/share/texmf-var}/web2c/fmtutil.cnf \
       | tee "$out/fmtutil.cnf.patch"
   '';
+
+  # verify that the restricted mode gets enabled when
+  # needed (detected by checking if it disallows --gscmd)
+  repstopdf = runCommand "texlive-test-repstopdf" {
+    nativeBuildInputs = [ (texlive.combine { inherit (texlive) scheme-infraonly epstopdf; }) ];
+  } ''
+    ! (epstopdf --gscmd echo /dev/null 2>&1 || true) | grep forbidden >/dev/null
+    (repstopdf --gscmd echo /dev/null 2>&1 || true) | grep forbidden >/dev/null
+    mkdir "$out"
+  '';
+
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/combine.nix b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/combine.nix
index 95c29765048..a22c3b921e8 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/combine.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/combine.nix
@@ -289,15 +289,6 @@ in (buildEnv {
   ''
     rm "$out"/bin/*-sys
     wrapBin
-  '' +
-    # Perform a small test to verify that the restricted mode get enabled when
-    # needed (detected by checking if it disallows --gscmd)
-  ''
-    if [[ -e "$out"/bin/epstopdf ]]; then
-      echo "Testing restricted mode for {,r}epstopdf"
-      ! (epstopdf --gscmd echo /dev/null 2>&1 || true) | grep forbidden
-      (repstopdf --gscmd echo /dev/null 2>&1 || true) | grep forbidden
-    fi
   '' +
   # TODO: a context trigger https://www.preining.info/blog/2015/06/debian-tex-live-2015-the-new-layout/
     # http://wiki.contextgarden.net/ConTeXt_Standalone#Unix-like_platforms_.28Linux.2FMacOS_X.2FFreeBSD.2FSolaris.29