diff --git a/dev/run-tests b/dev/run-tests
index 257d1e8d50..9cf93d000d 100755
--- a/dev/run-tests
+++ b/dev/run-tests
@@ -20,4 +20,10 @@
 FWDIR="$(cd "`dirname $0`"/..; pwd)"
 cd "$FWDIR"
 
+PYTHON_VERSION_CHECK=$(python -c 'import sys; print(sys.version_info < (2, 7, 0))')
+if [[ "$PYTHON_VERSION_CHECK" == "True" ]]; then
+  echo "Python versions prior to 2.7 are not supported."
+  exit -1
+fi
+
 exec python -u ./dev/run-tests.py "$@"
diff --git a/dev/run-tests-jenkins b/dev/run-tests-jenkins
index f41f1ac79e..03fd6ff0fb 100755
--- a/dev/run-tests-jenkins
+++ b/dev/run-tests-jenkins
@@ -25,5 +25,10 @@
 FWDIR="$( cd "$( dirname "$0" )/.." && pwd )"
 cd "$FWDIR"
 
-export PATH=/home/anaconda/bin:$PATH
+PYTHON_VERSION_CHECK=$(python -c 'import sys; print(sys.version_info < (2, 7, 0))')
+if [[ "$PYTHON_VERSION_CHECK" == "True" ]]; then
+  echo "Python versions prior to 2.7 are not supported."
+  exit -1
+fi
+
 exec python -u ./dev/run-tests-jenkins.py "$@"
diff --git a/dev/sparktestsupport/shellutils.py b/dev/sparktestsupport/shellutils.py
index 05af87189b..c7644da88f 100644
--- a/dev/sparktestsupport/shellutils.py
+++ b/dev/sparktestsupport/shellutils.py
@@ -21,35 +21,8 @@ import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
-
-if sys.version_info >= (2, 7):
-    subprocess_check_output = subprocess.check_output
-    subprocess_check_call = subprocess.check_call
-else:
-    # SPARK-8763
-    # backported from subprocess module in Python 2.7
-    def subprocess_check_output(*popenargs, **kwargs):
-        if 'stdout' in kwargs:
-            raise ValueError('stdout argument not allowed, it will be overridden.')
-        process = subprocess.Popen(stdout=subprocess.PIPE, *popenargs, **kwargs)
-        output, unused_err = process.communicate()
-        retcode = process.poll()
-        if retcode:
-            cmd = kwargs.get("args")
-            if cmd is None:
-                cmd = popenargs[0]
-            raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd, output=output)
-        return output
-
-    # backported from subprocess module in Python 2.7
-    def subprocess_check_call(*popenargs, **kwargs):
-        retcode = call(*popenargs, **kwargs)
-        if retcode:
-            cmd = kwargs.get("args")
-            if cmd is None:
-                cmd = popenargs[0]
-            raise CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd)
-        return 0
+subprocess_check_output = subprocess.check_output
+subprocess_check_call = subprocess.check_call
 
 
 def exit_from_command_with_retcode(cmd, retcode):