diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3_3.9.1.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3_3.9.1.bb
index 17d0c032f7..a89122f949 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3_3.9.1.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3_3.9.1.bb
@@ -372,3 +372,9 @@ RDEPENDS_${PN}-dev = ""
 
 RDEPENDS_${PN}-tests_append_class-target = " ${MLPREFIX}bash"
 RDEPENDS_${PN}-tests_append_class-nativesdk = " ${MLPREFIX}bash"
+
+# Python's tests contain large numbers of files we don't need in the recipe sysroots
+SYSROOT_PREPROCESS_FUNCS += " py3_sysroot_cleanup"
+py3_sysroot_cleanup () {
+	rm -rf ${SYSROOT_DESTDIR}${libdir}/python${PYTHON_MAJMIN}/test
+}