diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 523cfa9..bee9f9c 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ Changelog
 * Friendlier error message when an external command cannot be found
   (`issue #21 <https://github.com/mgedmin/check-manifest/issues/21>`__).
 * Add suggestion pattern for `.coveragerc`.
+* Python 2.6 support
+  (`issue #22 <https://github.com/mgedmin/check-manifest/issues/22>`__).
 
 
 0.17 (2013-10-10)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5b7f30d..7d6bff3 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-import os, re, ast, email.utils
+import os, re, ast, email.utils, sys
 from setuptools import setup
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 6):
+    sys.exit("Python 2.6 or newer is required for check-manifest")
+
+PY26 = (sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 6))
+
 here = os.path.dirname(__file__)
 
 with open(os.path.join(here, 'README.rst')) as readme:
@@ -40,6 +45,7 @@
         'License :: uhh, dunno',
         'Operating System :: OS Independent',
         'Programming Language :: Python',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.2',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3',
@@ -51,8 +57,8 @@
     py_modules=['check_manifest'],
     zip_safe=False,
     test_suite='tests.test_suite',
-    install_requires=[],
-    tests_require=['mock'],
+    install_requires=['argparse'] if PY26 else [],
+    tests_require=['mock'] + (['unittest2'] if PY26 else []),
     entry_points={
         'console_scripts': [
             'check-manifest = check_manifest:main',
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 1f3c087..13a1c89 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import textwrap
-import unittest
+try:
+    import unittest2 as unittest    # Python 2.6
+except ImportError:
+    import unittest
 
 try:
     from cStringIO import StringIO  # Python 2.x
@@ -50,11 +53,14 @@ def test_run_no_such_program(self):
     def test_copy_files(self):
         from check_manifest import copy_files
         actions = []
-        with mock.patch('os.path.isdir', lambda d: d in ('b', '/dest/dir')), \
-             mock.patch('os.makedirs', lambda d: actions.append('makedirs %s' % d)), \
-             mock.patch('os.mkdir', lambda d: actions.append('mkdir %s' % d)), \
-             mock.patch('shutil.copy2', lambda s, d: actions.append('cp %s %s' % (s, d))):
-            copy_files(['a', 'b', 'c/d/e'], '/dest/dir')
+        with mock.patch('os.path.isdir', lambda d: d in ('b', '/dest/dir')):
+            with mock.patch('os.makedirs',
+                            lambda d: actions.append('makedirs %s' % d)):
+                with mock.patch('os.mkdir',
+                                lambda d: actions.append('mkdir %s' % d)):
+                    with mock.patch('shutil.copy2',
+                                    lambda s, d: actions.append('cp %s %s' % (s, d))):
+                        copy_files(['a', 'b', 'c/d/e'], '/dest/dir')
         self.assertEqual(
             actions,
             [
@@ -385,12 +391,14 @@ def tearDown(self):
         shutil.rmtree(self.tmpdir)
 
     def _run(self, *command):
-        try:
-            subprocess.check_output(command, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        p = subprocess.Popen(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                             stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+        stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
+        rc = p.wait()
+        if rc:
             print(' '.join(command))
-            print(e.output)
-            raise
+            print(stdout)
+            raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(rc, command[0], output=stdout)
 
     def _create_file(self, filename):
         assert not os.path.isabs(filename)
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 27566e8..115651d 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tox]
 envlist =
-    py27,py32,py33,pypy
+    py26,py27,py32,py33,pypy
 
 [testenv]
 deps =
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ deps =
 commands =
     python setup.py test -q
 
+[testenv:py26]
+deps =
+    {[testenv]deps}
+    unittest2
+
 [testenv:coverage]
 deps =
     {[testenv]deps}