diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/r/ReFrame/ReFrame-4.2.0.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/r/ReFrame/ReFrame-4.2.0.eb
index dc290fcc04d4..b00fc07a2571 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/r/ReFrame/ReFrame-4.2.0.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/r/ReFrame/ReFrame-4.2.0.eb
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ exts_list = [
 ]
 
 postinstallcmds = [
-    "cp -a hpctestlib tools tutorials %(installdir)s",
+    "cp -a tools tutorials %(installdir)s",
+    # Adding hpctestlib separately to the external directory so that it can be
+    # imported and is in the PYTHONPATH
+    "cp -a hpctestlib %(installdir)s/external",
     "mkdir -p %(installdir)s/share && cp -a share/completions %(installdir)s/share/completions",
     r"sed -i 's@/\(python[0-9.]*\)$@/\1 -S@g' %(installdir)s/bin/reframe",
 ]
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ sanity_check_paths = {
               'share/completions/reframe.bash',
               'share/completions/reframe.fish',
               'share/completions/reframe.tcsh'],
-    'dirs': ['external', 'hpctestlib', 'lib', 'tools', 'tutorials']
+    'dirs': ['external', 'lib', 'tools', 'tutorials']
 }
 
 sanity_check_commands = ['reframe -V']