diff --git a/packages/nest/package.py b/packages/nest/package.py
index 24b89a633a3e6f16d4cfb645bc9bde381e45057f..eb23f6cbbc5713ed63e0df976b9a1e8a78d92105 100644
--- a/packages/nest/package.py
+++ b/packages/nest/package.py
@@ -176,3 +176,8 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
     @on_package_attributes(run_tests=True)
     def installcheck(self):
         make("installcheck")
+
+    # quick-fix to add lib64/python3.8/site-packages to the PYTHONPATH;
+    # this should happen automatically for packages extending Python...
+    def setup_run_environment(self, env):
+        env.prepend_path('PYTHONPATH', self.prefix.lib64.join('python3.8/site-packages'))