diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c5a15140d..f503eb5e1 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -22,10 +22,19 @@ matrix:
       - { python: "3.6", env: DJANGO=2.0 }
       - { python: "2.7", env: TOXENV=lint }
       - { python: "2.7", env: TOXENV=docs }
-      - python: "2.7"
+
+      - python: "3.6"
+        env: TOXENV=dist
+        script:
+          - python setup.py bdist_wheel
+          - tox --installpkg ./dist/djangorestframework-*.whl
+          - tox  # test sdist
+
+      - python: "3.6"
         env: TOXENV=readme
         addons:
           apt_packages: pandoc
+
     exclude:
       - { python: "2.7", env: DJANGO=master }
       - { python: "2.7", env: DJANGO=2.0 }
diff --git a/runtests.py b/runtests.py
index 5e8460c85..a8f818ad7 100755
--- a/runtests.py
+++ b/runtests.py
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ FLAKE8_ARGS = ['rest_framework', 'tests']
 
 ISORT_ARGS = ['--recursive', '--check-only', '-o' 'uritemplate', '-p', 'tests', 'rest_framework', 'tests']
 
-sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-
 
 def exit_on_failure(ret, message=None):
     if ret:
@@ -84,6 +82,20 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         run_flake8 = False
         run_isort = False
 
+    try:
+        # Remove the package root directory from `sys.path`, ensuring that rest_framework
+        # is imported from the installed site packages. Used for testing the distribution
+        sys.argv.remove('--no-pkgroot')
+    except ValueError:
+        pass
+    else:
+        sys.path.pop(0)
+
+        # import rest_framework before pytest re-adds the package root directory.
+        import rest_framework
+        package_dir = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'rest_framework')
+        assert not rest_framework.__file__.startswith(package_dir)
+
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
         pytest_args = sys.argv[1:]
         first_arg = pytest_args[0]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index e2d7aa448..f04e6ba93 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ envlist =
        {py27,py34,py35,py36}-django111,
        {py34,py35,py36}-django20,
        {py35,py36}-djangomaster,
-       lint,docs,readme,
+       dist,lint,docs,readme,
 
 [travis:env]
 DJANGO =
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ DJANGO =
 
 [testenv]
 commands = ./runtests.py --fast {posargs} --coverage -rw
+envdir = {toxworkdir}/venvs/{envname}
 setenv =
        PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
        PYTHONWARNINGS=once
@@ -29,6 +30,13 @@ deps =
         -rrequirements/requirements-testing.txt
         -rrequirements/requirements-optionals.txt
 
+[testenv:dist]
+commands = ./runtests.py --fast {posargs} --no-pkgroot -rw
+deps =
+        django
+        -rrequirements/requirements-testing.txt
+        -rrequirements/requirements-optionals.txt
+
 [testenv:lint]
 basepython = python2.7
 commands = ./runtests.py --lintonly