diff --git a/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am b/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
index b33e4b785e..fbf12f0af6 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
+++ b/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ TESTS +=			\
 	case			\
 	catz			\
 	cds			\
+	chain			\
 	checkconf		\
 	checkds			\
 	checknames		\
@@ -190,14 +191,6 @@ TESTS +=			\
 	zero			\
 	zonechecks
 
-if HAVE_PYMOD_DNS
-if HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS
-if HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS_NAMESERVER
-TESTS += chain
-endif HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS_NAMESERVER
-endif HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS
-endif HAVE_PYMOD_DNS
-
 else !HAVE_PYTEST
 check:
 	echo pytest is not available, no tests were ran
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/chain/prereq.sh b/bin/tests/system/chain/prereq.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae09abfe3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/chain/prereq.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+. ../conf.sh
+
+if ! ${PYTHON} -c 'import dns'
+then
+	echo_i "python dns module is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! ${PERL} -MNet::DNS -e ''
+then
+	echo_i "perl Net::DNS module is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! ${PERL} -MNet::DNS::Nameserver -e ''
+then
+	echo_i "perl Net::DNS::Nameserver module is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d33bee7de7..b9182b0e32 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -315,10 +315,6 @@ AX_PERL_MODULE([Net::DNS])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS],
 	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_NET__DNS" = "yes"])
 
-AX_PERL_MODULE([Net::DNS::Nameserver])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS_NAMESERVER],
-	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_NET__DNS__NAMESERVER" = "yes"])
-
 AX_PERL_MODULE([Time::HiRes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_TIME_HIRES],
 	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_TIME__HIRES" = "yes"])
@@ -335,9 +331,6 @@ AS_IF([test -z "$PYTEST"],
 AC_SUBST([PYTEST])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PYTEST], [test -n "$PYTEST"])
 
-AX_PYTHON_MODULE([dns])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PYMOD_DNS], [test "$HAVE_PYMOD_DNS" = "yes"])
-
 #
 # xsltproc is optional, it is used only by system test scripts.
 #