diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c14994d0d81e..ccb182816e99 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ matrix:
       env: USE_WHEEL=1
     - python: 3.5
       env: USE_WHEEL=1
+    - python: 3.5
+      env: USE_SDIST=1
     - python: 2.7
       env:
        - PYTHONOPTIMIZE=2
diff --git a/numpy/distutils/command/egg_info.py b/numpy/distutils/command/egg_info.py
index b7104de5be40..972a27df3846 100644
--- a/numpy/distutils/command/egg_info.py
+++ b/numpy/distutils/command/egg_info.py
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 from __future__ import division, absolute_import, print_function
 
+import sys
+
 from setuptools.command.egg_info import egg_info as _egg_info
 
 class egg_info(_egg_info):
     def run(self):
+        if 'sdist' in sys.argv:
+            import warnings
+            warnings.warn("`build_src` is being run, this may lead to missing "
+                          "files in your sdist!  See numpy issue gh-7127 for "
+                          "details", UserWarning)
+
         # We need to ensure that build_src has been executed in order to give
         # setuptools' egg_info command real filenames instead of functions which
         # generate files.
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a7f66a03d851..c68f5a399951 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ def check_submodules():
             raise ValueError('Submodule not clean: %s' % line)
 
 
-from setuptools.command.sdist import sdist
+from distutils.command.sdist import sdist
 class sdist_checked(sdist):
     """ check submodules on sdist to prevent incomplete tarballs """
     def run(self):
diff --git a/tools/travis-test.sh b/tools/travis-test.sh
index 3de1ca78de2b..6ed51ee910e9 100755
--- a/tools/travis-test.sh
+++ b/tools/travis-test.sh
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ setup_chroot()
   #   linux32 python setup.py build
   # when travis updates to ubuntu 14.04
   #
-  # Numpy may not distinquish between 64 and 32 bit atlas in the
+  # Numpy may not distinguish between 64 and 32 bit ATLAS in the
   # configuration stage.
   DIR=$1
   set -u
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ if [ -n "$USE_WHEEL" ] && [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
   pip install nose
   popd
   run_test
+elif [ -n "$USE_SDIST" ] && [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
+  # use an up-to-date pip / setuptools inside the venv
+  $PIP install -U virtualenv
+  $PYTHON setup.py sdist
+  # Make another virtualenv to install into
+  virtualenv --python=`which $PYTHON` venv-for-wheel
+  . venv-for-wheel/bin/activate
+  # Move out of source directory to avoid finding local numpy
+  pushd dist
+  pip install numpy*
+  pip install nose
+  popd
+  run_test
 elif [ -n "$USE_CHROOT" ] && [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
   DIR=/chroot
   setup_chroot $DIR