diff --git a/mmgen/autosign.py b/mmgen/autosign.py
index f2132037..43756b9f 100755
--- a/mmgen/autosign.py
+++ b/mmgen/autosign.py
@@ -81,7 +81,13 @@ class SwapMgrBase:
 class SwapMgrLinux(SwapMgrBase):
 
 	def get_active(self):
-		cp = run(['/sbin/swapon', '--show=NAME', '--noheadings'], stdout=PIPE, text=True, check=True)
+		for cmd in ('/sbin/swapon', 'swapon'):
+			try:
+				cp = run([cmd, '--show=NAME', '--noheadings'], stdout=PIPE, text=True, check=True)
+				break
+			except Exception:
+				if cmd == 'swapon':
+					raise
 		res = cp.stdout.splitlines()
 		return [e for e in res if not e.startswith('/dev/zram')] if self.ignore_zram else res
 
@@ -418,7 +424,7 @@ class Autosign:
 	linux_mount_subdir = 'mmgen_autosign'
 	macOS_ramdisk_name = 'AutosignRamDisk'
 	wallet_subdir = 'autosign'
-	linux_blkid_cmd = '/sbin/blkid -s LABEL -o value'
+	linux_blkid_cmd = 'sudo blkid -s LABEL -o value'
 
 	cmds = ('setup', 'xmr_setup', 'sign', 'wait')
 
diff --git a/mmgen/daemon.py b/mmgen/daemon.py
index 897bb1bc..960a7b7c 100755
--- a/mmgen/daemon.py
+++ b/mmgen/daemon.py
@@ -488,10 +488,7 @@ class CoinDaemon(Daemon):
 		"remove the network's datadir"
 		assert self.test_suite, 'datadir removal restricted to test suite'
 		if self.state == 'stopped':
-			run([
-				('rm' if self.platform == 'win32' else '/bin/rm'),
-				'-rf',
-				self.datadir])
+			run(['rm', '-rf', self.datadir])
 			set_vt100()
 		else:
 			msg(f'Cannot remove {self.network_datadir!r} - daemon is not stopped')
diff --git a/mmgen/fileutil.py b/mmgen/fileutil.py
index a5c43b88..af456be1 100755
--- a/mmgen/fileutil.py
+++ b/mmgen/fileutil.py
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ def check_or_create_dir(path):
 		if os.getenv('MMGEN_TEST_SUITE'):
 			if os.path.exists(path): # path is a link or regular file
 				from subprocess import run
-				run([
-					('rm' if sys.platform == 'win32' else '/bin/rm'),
-					'-rf',
-					str(path)])
+				run(['rm', '-rf', str(path)])
 				set_vt100()
 		try:
 			os.makedirs(path, 0o700)
diff --git a/test/cmdtest_d/ct_autosign.py b/test/cmdtest_d/ct_autosign.py
index 7aadbf00..71631ac1 100755
--- a/test/cmdtest_d/ct_autosign.py
+++ b/test/cmdtest_d/ct_autosign.py
@@ -134,19 +134,30 @@ class CmdTestAutosignBase(CmdTestBase):
 
 	def _set_e2label(self, label):
 		imsg(f'Setting label to {label}')
-		run(['/sbin/e2label', str(self.txdev.img_path), label], check=True)
+		for cmd in ('/sbin/e2label', 'e2label'):
+			try:
+				run([cmd, str(self.txdev.img_path), label], check=True)
+				break
+			except:
+				if cmd == 'e2label':
+					raise
 
 	def _create_removable_device(self):
 		if sys.platform == 'linux':
 			self.txdev.create()
 			self.txdev.attach(silent=True)
-			cmd = [
-				'/sbin/mkfs.ext2',
+			args = [
 				'-E', 'root_owner={}:{}'.format(os.getuid(), os.getgid()),
 				'-L', self.asi.dev_label,
 				str(self.txdev.img_path)]
 			redir = DEVNULL
-			run(cmd, stdout=redir, stderr=redir, check=True)
+			for cmd in ('/sbin/mkfs.ext2', 'mkfs.ext2'):
+				try:
+					run([cmd] + args, stdout=redir, stderr=redir, check=True)
+					break
+				except:
+					if cmd == 'mkfs.ext2':
+						raise
 			self.txdev.detach(silent=True)
 		elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
 			cmd = [
diff --git a/test/daemontest_d/ut_rpc.py b/test/daemontest_d/ut_rpc.py
index c2d434f0..98fef8b3 100755
--- a/test/daemontest_d/ut_rpc.py
+++ b/test/daemontest_d/ut_rpc.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from mmgen.daemon import CoinDaemon
 from mmgen.proto.xmr.rpc import MoneroRPCClient, MoneroWalletRPCClient
 from mmgen.proto.xmr.daemon import MoneroWalletDaemon
 
-from ..include.common import cfg, qmsg, vmsg
+from ..include.common import cfg, qmsg, vmsg, in_nix_environment, test_exec
 
 async def cfg_file_auth_test(cfg, d, bad_auth=False):
 	m = 'missing credentials' if bad_auth else f'credentials from {d.cfg_file}'
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@ class unit_tests:
 		return await run_test(['eth', 'eth_tn', 'eth_rt'], daemon_ids=['erigon'])
 
 	async def parity(self, name, ut):
+		if in_nix_environment() and not test_exec('parity --help'):
+			ut.skip_msg('Nix environment')
+			return True
 		return await run_test(['etc'])
 
 	async def xmrwallet(self, name, ut):
diff --git a/test/include/common.py b/test/include/common.py
index 750e98da..db0ae247 100755
--- a/test/include/common.py
+++ b/test/include/common.py
@@ -337,6 +337,19 @@ def check_solc_ver():
 def do_run(cmd, check=True):
 	return run(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=DEVNULL, check=check)
 
+def test_exec(cmd):
+	try:
+		do_run(cmd.split())
+		return True
+	except Exception:
+		return False
+
+def in_nix_environment():
+	for path in os.getenv('PATH').split(':'):
+		if os.path.realpath(path).startswith('/nix/store'):
+			return True
+	return False
+
 def VirtBlockDevice(img_path, size):
 	if sys.platform == 'linux':
 		return VirtBlockDeviceLinux(img_path, size)
@@ -407,20 +420,20 @@ class VirtBlockDeviceLinux(VirtBlockDeviceBase):
 		self.size = size
 
 	def _get_associations(self):
-		cmd = ['/sbin/losetup', '-n', '-O', 'NAME', '-j', str(self.img_path)]
+		cmd = ['sudo', 'losetup', '-n', '-O', 'NAME', '-j', str(self.img_path)]
 		return do_run(cmd).stdout.decode().splitlines()
 
 	def get_new_dev(self):
-		return do_run(['sudo', '/sbin/losetup', '-f']).stdout.decode().strip()
+		return do_run(['sudo', 'losetup', '-f']).stdout.decode().strip()
 
 	def do_create(self, size, path):
 		do_run(['truncate', f'--size={size}', str(path)])
 
 	def do_attach(self, path, dev):
-		do_run(['sudo', '/sbin/losetup', dev, str(path)])
+		do_run(['sudo', 'losetup', dev, str(path)])
 
 	def do_detach(self, dev, check=True):
-		do_run(['sudo', '/sbin/losetup', '-d', dev], check=check)
+		do_run(['sudo', 'losetup', '-d', dev], check=check)
 
 class VirtBlockDeviceMacOS(VirtBlockDeviceBase):
 
diff --git a/test/modtest_d/ut_testdep.py b/test/modtest_d/ut_testdep.py
index f419821a..4daab0c4 100755
--- a/test/modtest_d/ut_testdep.py
+++ b/test/modtest_d/ut_testdep.py
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@ class unit_tests:
 
 	def losetup(self, name, ut):
 		os.stat('/dev/loop0')
-		run(['/sbin/losetup', '-f'], check=True, stdout=DEVNULL)
+		for cmd in ('/sbin/losetup', '/usr/sbin/losetup', 'losetup'):
+			try:
+				run([cmd, '-f'], check=True, stdout=DEVNULL)
+				break
+			except:
+				if cmd == 'losetup':
+					raise
 		return True
 
 	def pycoin(self, name, ut):
diff --git a/test/test-release.d/cfg.sh b/test/test-release.d/cfg.sh
index 9b23d780..5564e986 100755
--- a/test/test-release.d/cfg.sh
+++ b/test/test-release.d/cfg.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ init_groups() {
 	noalt_ok_tests='lint'
 
 	[ "$MSYS2" ] && SKIP_LIST='autosign autosign_live'
-	[ "$ARM32" -o "$ARM64" ] && SKIP_LIST+=' etc'
+	[ "$ARM32" -o "$ARM64" -o "$SKIP_PARITY" ] && SKIP_LIST+=' etc'
 
 	true
 }
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ init_tests() {
 
 	d_etc="operations for Ethereum Classic using devnet"
 	t_etc="parity $cmdtest_py --coin=etc ethdev"
+	[ "$SKIP_PARITY" ] && t_etc_skip='parity'
 
 	d_xmr="Monero xmrwallet operations"
 	t_xmr="
diff --git a/test/test-release.sh b/test/test-release.sh
index 8c038c03..179c4c34 100755
--- a/test/test-release.sh
+++ b/test/test-release.sh
@@ -217,6 +217,12 @@ do_reexec() {
 	fi
 }
 
+in_nix_environment() {
+	for path in ${PATH//:/ }; do
+		realpath -q $path | grep -q '^/nix/store/' && break
+	done
+}
+
 # start execution
 
 set -e
@@ -368,6 +374,8 @@ do
 	esac
 done
 
+in_nix_environment && parity --help >/dev/null 2>&1 || SKIP_PARITY=1
+
 [ "$MMGEN_DISABLE_COLOR" ] || {
 	RED="\e[31;1m" GREEN="\e[32;1m" YELLOW="\e[33;1m" BLUE="\e[34;1m" MAGENTA="\e[35;1m" CYAN="\e[36;1m"
 	RESET="\e[0m"