diff --git a/scripts/lib/setup_path_on_import.py b/scripts/lib/setup_path_on_import.py
index f38d44e5e1..d15ca2a2df 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/setup_path_on_import.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/setup_path_on_import.py
@@ -5,14 +5,11 @@ Use libraries from a virtualenv (by modifying sys.path) in production.
 import os
 import sys
 
-BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
-
-venv = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, "zulip-py3-venv")
-if sys.prefix != venv:
+if os.path.basename(sys.prefix) != "zulip-py3-venv":
+    BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
+    venv = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, "zulip-py3-venv")
     activate_this = os.path.join(venv, "bin", "activate_this.py")
-    # this file will exist in production
-    if os.path.exists(activate_this):
-        activate_locals = dict(__file__=activate_this)
-        exec(open(activate_this).read(), activate_locals)
-        if not os.path.exists(activate_locals["site_packages"]):
-            raise RuntimeError(venv + " was not set up for this Python version")
+    activate_locals = dict(__file__=activate_this)
+    exec(open(activate_this).read(), activate_locals)
+    if not os.path.exists(activate_locals["site_packages"]):
+        raise RuntimeError(venv + " was not set up for this Python version")