diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 722d3fe8..28c287da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ jobs:
           cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install Python dependencies the way Heroku would
-        run: pip install -r requirements.txt
+        run: |
+          pip install -r requirements.txt
+          bin/post_compile
 
       - name: unit test the web API
         run: python test/test_web_api.py
diff --git a/bin/post_compile b/bin/post_compile
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..91e478e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/post_compile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Heroku expects to run your app in place, but doesn't actually do this for you
+pip install -e .