diff --git a/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake b/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
index c5f4720400..187155c927 100644
--- a/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
@@ -133,14 +133,20 @@ macro (setup_python_module)
     # non-python libraries of the same name (which aren't prefixed by "lib"
     # on Windows).
     set_target_properties (${target_name} PROPERTIES
-            LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python/site-packages
-            ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python/site-packages
+            LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/site-packages/$<CONFIG>/OpenImageIO
+            ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/site-packages/$<CONFIG>/OpenImageIO
             )
 
     install (TARGETS ${target_name}
              RUNTIME DESTINATION ${PYTHON_SITE_DIR} COMPONENT user
              LIBRARY DESTINATION ${PYTHON_SITE_DIR} COMPONENT user)
 
+    add_custom_command (
+        TARGET ${target_name} POST_BUILD
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy
+                ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/__init__.py
+                ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/site-packages/$<CONFIG>/OpenImageIO/__init__.py)
+
     install(FILES __init__.py DESTINATION ${PYTHON_SITE_DIR})
 
 endmacro ()
diff --git a/src/cmake/testing.cmake b/src/cmake/testing.cmake
index bedf2faf48..379ce0b08d 100644
--- a/src/cmake/testing.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/testing.cmake
@@ -111,6 +111,20 @@ macro (oiio_add_tests)
                              "OIIO_TESTSUITE_SRC=${_testsrcdir}"
                              "OIIO_TESTSUITE_CUR=${_testdir}"
                              ${_ats_ENVIRONMENT})
+            if (NOT DEFINED ENV{GITHUB_ACTIONS})
+              # the github actions run all the tests from the dist tree
+              # and do an install prior to running the tests so skip
+              # setting these here
+              if (NOT DEFINED ENV{OpenImageIO_ROOT})
+                # this will ensure the appropriate fonts are found
+                set_property(TEST ${_testname} APPEND PROPERTY ENVIRONMENT
+                  "OpenImageIO_ROOT=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src")
+              endif()
+              if (USE_PYTHON)
+                set_property(TEST ${_testname} APPEND PROPERTY ENVIRONMENT
+                  "PYTHONPATH=$<SHELL_PATH:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/site-packages/$<CONFIG>;$ENV{PYTHONPATH}>")
+              endif()
+            endif()
             if (NOT ${_ats_testdir} STREQUAL "")
                 set_property(TEST ${_testname} APPEND PROPERTY ENVIRONMENT
                              "OIIO_TESTSUITE_IMAGEDIR=${_ats_testdir}")