diff --git a/.ci/azure-pipelines-steps.yml b/.ci/azure-pipelines-steps.yml
index 88d219b8..5d516eb0 100644
--- a/.ci/azure-pipelines-steps.yml
+++ b/.ci/azure-pipelines-steps.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/reference/?view=azure-pipelines&viewFallbackFrom=azure-devops#tool
 
 # `{script: ...}` is shorthand for `{task: CmdLine@<mumble>, inputs: {script: ...}}`.
+# The shell is bash.
 # https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/yaml-schema/steps-script?view=azure-pipelines
 # https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/reference/cmd-line-v2?view=azure-pipelines
 
@@ -20,9 +21,23 @@ steps:
   condition: and(eq(variables['python.version'], ''), eq(variables['Agent.OS'], 'Linux'))
 
 - script: |
-    type python && python --version
-    type python2 && python2 --version
-    type python3 && python3 --version
+    # macOS builders lack a realpath command
+    type python  && python  -c"import os.path;print(os.path.realpath('$(type -p python)'))" &&  python --version
+    type python2 && python2 -c"import os.path;print(os.path.realpath('$(type -p python2)'))" && python2 --version
+    type python3 && python3 -c"import os.path;print(os.path.realpath('$(type -p python3)'))" && python3 --version
+    echo
+
+    if [ -e /usr/bin/python ]; then
+        echo "/usr/bin/python:    sys.executable: $(/usr/bin/python -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)')"
+    fi
+
+    if [ -e /usr/bin/python2 ]; then
+        echo "/usr/bin/python2:   sys.executable: $(/usr/bin/python2 -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)')"
+    fi
+
+    if [ -e /usr/bin/python2.7 ]; then
+        echo "/usr/bin/python2.7: sys.executable: $(/usr/bin/python2.7 -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)')"
+    fi
   displayName: Show python versions
 
 - script: |
diff --git a/tests/ansible/integration/interpreter_discovery/ansible_2_8_tests.yml b/tests/ansible/integration/interpreter_discovery/ansible_2_8_tests.yml
index ce2b3d3a..6ac9bada 100644
--- a/tests/ansible/integration/interpreter_discovery/ansible_2_8_tests.yml
+++ b/tests/ansible/integration/interpreter_discovery/ansible_2_8_tests.yml
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@
               fail_msg:
                 - "auto_out: {{ auto_out }}"
                 - "echoout: {{ echoout }}"
+            when:
+              # On macOS 11 (Darwin 20) CI runners the Python 2.7 binary always
+              # reports the same path. I can't reach via symlinks.
+              # >>> sys.executable
+              # /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Resources/Python.app/Contents/MacOS/Python
+              - is_mitogen
+                or echoout.running_python.sys.version_info.major != 2
+                or not (echoout.running_python.sys.platform == "darwin"
+                        and echoout.running_python.platform.release.major == 20)
 
 
         - name: test that auto_legacy gives a dep warning when /usr/bin/python present but != auto result
diff --git a/tests/ansible/lib/modules/test_echo_module.py b/tests/ansible/lib/modules/test_echo_module.py
index 9d1d99b1..d6a5fb9e 100644
--- a/tests/ansible/lib/modules/test_echo_module.py
+++ b/tests/ansible/lib/modules/test_echo_module.py
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ def main():
 
     # revert the Mitogen OSX tweak since discover_interpreter() doesn't return this info
     # NB This must be synced with mitogen.parent.Connection.get_boot_command()
+    platform_release_major = int(platform.release().partition('.')[0])
     if sys.modules.get('mitogen') and sys.platform == 'darwin':
-        darwin_major = int(platform.release().partition('.')[0])
-        if darwin_major < 19 and sys.executable == '/usr/bin/python2.7':
+        if platform_release_major < 19 and sys.executable == '/usr/bin/python2.7':
             sys.executable = '/usr/bin/python'
-        if darwin_major in (20, 21) and sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 7):
+        if platform_release_major in (20, 21) and sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 7):
             # only for tests to check version of running interpreter -- Mac 10.15+ changed python2
             # so it looks like it's /usr/bin/python but actually it's /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Resources/Python.app/Contents/MacOS/Python
             sys.executable = "/usr/bin/python"
@@ -46,12 +46,21 @@ def main():
             'resolved': os.path.realpath(discovered_interpreter_python),
         },
         'running_python': {
+            'platform': {
+                'release': {
+                    'major': platform_release_major,
+                },
+            },
             'sys': {
                 'executable': {
                     'as_seen': sys.executable,
                     'resolved': os.path.realpath(sys.executable),
                 },
                 'platform': sys.platform,
+                'version_info': {
+                    'major': sys.version_info[0],
+                    'minor': sys.version_info[1],
+                },
             },
         },
     }