diff --git a/.github/workflows/runtime_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/runtime_ci.yml
index fb6d4d262..2f10feb4f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/runtime_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/runtime_ci.yml
@@ -37,21 +37,21 @@ jobs:
           export DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH=$PWD/darshan_install
           git submodule update --init
           ./prepare.sh
-          cd darshan-runtime
-          mkdir build
-          cd build
-          CC=mpicc ../configure --prefix=$DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH --with-log-path-by-env=DARSHAN_LOGPATH --with-jobid-env=NONE --enable-hdf5-mod
+          mkdir build-runtime
+          cd build-runtime
+          CC=mpicc ../configure --disable-darshan-util --prefix=$DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH --with-log-path-by-env=DARSHAN_LOGPATH --with-jobid-env=NONE --enable-hdf5-mod
           make
           make install
+          make distcheck DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS="--disable-darshan-util --with-log-path-by-env=DARSHAN_LOGPATH --with-jobid-env=NONE --enable-hdf5-mod"
       - name: Install darshan-util
         run: |
           export DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH=$PWD/darshan_install
-          cd darshan-util
-          mkdir build
-          cd build
-          ../configure --prefix=$DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH --enable-apxc-mod --enable-apmpi-mod
+          mkdir build-util
+          cd build-util
+          ../configure --disable-darshan-runtime --prefix=$DARSHAN_INSTALL_PATH --enable-apxc-mod --enable-apmpi-mod
           make
           make install
+          make distcheck DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS="--disable-darshan-runtime --enable-apxc-mod --enable-apmpi-mod"
       - name: Install pydarshan
         run: |
           cd darshan-util/pydarshan
diff --git a/darshan-test/python_runtime_tests.py b/darshan-test/python_runtime_tests.py
index d82a77030..ac0d64ba0 100644
--- a/darshan-test/python_runtime_tests.py
+++ b/darshan-test/python_runtime_tests.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def test_runtime_heatmap_div_by_zero(tmpdir):
                                           "CLOCK_REALTIME_COARSE"))
 
         new_install_path = os.path.join(cwd, "darshan", "darshan_install")
-        os.chdir(os.path.join("darshan", "darshan-runtime", "build"))
+        os.chdir(os.path.join("darshan", "build-runtime"))
         myenv = os.environ.copy()
         myenv["CC"] = "mpicc"
         subprocess.check_output(["../configure",