diff --git a/src/bugmon/utils.py b/src/bugmon/utils.py
index b65302f..b6285cb 100644
--- a/src/bugmon/utils.py
+++ b/src/bugmon/utils.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 import subprocess
-import sysconfig
 import tempfile
 import zipfile
 from contextlib import contextmanager
@@ -117,9 +116,13 @@ def download_zip_archive(url: str) -> Generator[Path, None, None]:
 
 def is_pernosco_available() -> bool:
     """Determines if pernosco-submit is properly configured"""
-    py_path = Path(sysconfig.get_path("platlib"))
-    pernosco_shared = py_path / "pernoscoshared"
-    return PERNOSCO is not None and pernosco_shared.exists()
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ["pernosco-submit", "--help"],
+        check=False,
+        stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+    )
+    return result.returncode == 0
 
 
 def get_pernosco_trace(log_path: Path) -> Optional[Path]:
diff --git a/tests/test_bugmon.py b/tests/test_bugmon.py
index 8a53a72..4b2fb06 100644
--- a/tests/test_bugmon.py
+++ b/tests/test_bugmon.py
@@ -30,8 +30,17 @@ def test_bugmon_need_info_on_bisect_fix(mocker, bugmon, build):
     assert mock_bug.add_needinfo.call_count == 1
 
 
-def test_bugmon_throws_without_pernosco_submit(bug, bugsy, pernosco_creds, working_dir):
+def test_bugmon_throws_without_pernosco_submit(
+    bug,
+    bugsy,
+    pernosco_creds,
+    working_dir,
+    mocker,
+):
     """Test that bugmon throws when pernosco-submit is not available"""
+    mock_run = mocker.patch("bugmon.utils.subprocess.run")
+    mock_run.return_value.returncode = -1
+
     expected = "pernosco-submit is not properly configured!"
     with pytest.raises(BugmonException, match=expected):
         BugMonitor(bugsy, bug, working_dir, pernosco_creds, False)
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 523c1dd..2990930 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1,30 +1,28 @@
 # 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 http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+import subprocess
+
 import pytest
 
 import bugmon.utils as utils
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("binary", [True, False])
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("library", [True, False])
-def test_is_pernosco_available(binary, library, mocker, tmp_path):
-    """Verify that is_pernosco_available returns true if both conditions are true"""
-    bin_path = "/usr/bin/pernosco-submit" if binary else None
-    mocker.patch("bugmon.utils.PERNOSCO", bin_path)
-
-    if library:
-        pernosco_shared = tmp_path / "pernoscoshared"
-        pernosco_shared.mkdir()
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("returncode, expected", [(0, True), (1, False)])
+def test_is_pernosco_available(mocker, returncode, expected):
+    """Test is_pernosco_available with mocked subprocess.run."""
+    mock_run = mocker.patch("bugmon.utils.subprocess.run")
+    mock_run.return_value.returncode = returncode
 
-    mocker.patch(
-        "bugmon.utils.sysconfig.get_path",
-        return_value=tmp_path,
+    # Call the function and assert that it returns the expected result
+    assert utils.is_pernosco_available() == expected
+    mock_run.assert_called_once_with(
+        ["pernosco-submit", "--help"],
+        check=False,
+        stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
     )
 
-    expected = binary and library
-    assert utils.is_pernosco_available() is expected
-
 
 def test_get_pernosco_trace_match(tmp_path):
     """Verify that get_pernosco_trace returns the correct path"""