diff --git a/inc/python b/inc/python
index 9c810ec9b9..686efd40cf 100644
--- a/inc/python
+++ b/inc/python
@@ -415,11 +415,11 @@ function lib_installed_from_git {
     # you the path an editable install was installed from; for example
     # in response to something like
     #  pip install -e 'git+http://git.openstack.org/openstack-dev/bashate#egg=bashate'
-    # pip list shows
-    #  bashate (0.5.2.dev19, /tmp/env/src/bashate)
-    # Thus we look for "path after a comma" to indicate we were
-    # installed from some local place
-    pip list 2>/dev/null | grep -- "$name" | grep -q -- ', .*)$'
+    # pip list --format columns shows
+    #  bashate 0.5.2.dev19 /tmp/env/src/bashate
+    # Thus we check the third column to see if we're installed from
+    # some local place.
+    [[ -z $(pip list --format=columns 2>/dev/null | awk "/^$name/ {print \$3}") ]]
 }
 
 # check that everything that's in LIBS_FROM_GIT was actually installed