diff --git a/pandas/tests/io/test_compression.py b/pandas/tests/io/test_compression.py
index 16ca1109f266c..d68b6a1effaa0 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/io/test_compression.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/io/test_compression.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import contextlib
 import os
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import textwrap
 import warnings
 
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ def test_with_missing_lzma():
         import pandas
         """
     )
-    subprocess.check_output(["python", "-c", code])
+    subprocess.check_output([sys.executable, "-c", code])
 
 
 def test_with_missing_lzma_runtime():
@@ -156,4 +157,4 @@ def test_with_missing_lzma_runtime():
             df.to_csv('foo.csv', compression='xz')
         """
     )
-    subprocess.check_output(["python", "-c", code])
+    subprocess.check_output([sys.executable, "-c", code])