diff --git a/test/Makefile.in b/test/Makefile.in
index bc315ac4b3a..708c4b2fb0f 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/test/Makefile.in
@@ -53,15 +53,6 @@ REPLACE_FREE = @REPLACE_FREE@
 
 -include ${top_builddir}/src/verbose.mk
 
-# Load any GNU ELPA dependencies that are present, for optional tests.
-GNU_ELPA_DIRECTORY ?= $(srcdir)/../../elpa
-# Keep elpa_dependencies dependency-ordered.
-elpa_dependencies = \
-	url-http-ntlm/url-http-ntlm.el \
-	web-server/web-server.el
-elpa_els = $(addprefix $(GNU_ELPA_DIRECTORY)/packages/,$(elpa_dependencies))
-elpa_opts = $(foreach el,$(elpa_els),$(and $(wildcard $(el)),-L $(dir $(el)) -l $(el)))
-
 # We never change directory before running Emacs, so a relative file
 # name is fine, and makes life easier.  If we need to change
 # directory, we can use emacs --chdir.
@@ -72,7 +63,7 @@ EMACS_EXTRAOPT =
 # Command line flags for Emacs.
 # Apparently MSYS bash would convert "-L :" to "-L ;" anyway,
 # but we might as well be explicit.
-EMACSOPT = --no-init-file --no-site-file --no-site-lisp -L "$(SEPCHAR)$(srcdir)" $(elpa_opts) $(EMACS_EXTRAOPT)
+EMACSOPT = --no-init-file --no-site-file --no-site-lisp -L "$(SEPCHAR)$(srcdir)" $(EMACS_EXTRAOPT)
 
 # Prevent any settings in the user environment causing problems.
 unexport EMACSDATA EMACSDOC EMACSLOADPATH EMACSPATH GREP_OPTIONS XDG_CONFIG_HOME
@@ -101,7 +92,7 @@ export TEST_LOAD_EL ?= \
     $(if $(findstring $(MAKECMDGOALS), all check check-maybe),no,yes)
 
 # Additional settings for ert.
-ert_opts += $(elpa_opts)
+ert_opts =
 
 # Maximum length of lines in ert backtraces; nil for no limit.
 # (if empty, use the default ert-batch-backtrace-right-margin).
diff --git a/test/README b/test/README
index 2ab34ba20ee..3d865de78b4 100644
--- a/test/README
+++ b/test/README
@@ -126,12 +126,6 @@ to a suitable value in order to overwrite the default value:
 
     env REMOTE_TEMPORARY_FILE_DIRECTORY=/ssh:host:/tmp make ...
 
-Some optional tests require packages from GNU ELPA.  By default
-../../elpa will be checked for these packages.  If GNU ELPA is checked
-out somewhere else, use
-
-    make GNU_ELPA_DIRECTORY=/path/to/elpa ...
-
 
 There are also continuous integration tests on
 <https://hydra.nixos.org/jobset/gnu/emacs-trunk> (see
diff --git a/test/lisp/net/ntlm-tests.el b/test/lisp/net/ntlm-tests.el
index f7407032323..a02d97f19a8 100644
--- a/test/lisp/net/ntlm-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/net/ntlm-tests.el
@@ -234,8 +234,13 @@ This string will be returned from the NTLM server to the NTLM client."
 (declare-function ws-start nil)
 (declare-function ws-stop-all nil)
 
-(require 'web-server nil t)
-(require 'url-http-ntlm nil t)
+(eval-and-compile
+  (push (expand-file-name "../elpa/packages/web-server/" source-directory)
+        load-path)
+  (require 'web-server nil t)
+  (push (expand-file-name "../elpa/packages/url-http-ntlm/" source-directory)
+        load-path)
+  (require 'url-http-ntlm nil t))
 
 (defun ntlm-server-do-token (request _process)
   "Process an NTLM client's REQUEST.