diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py b/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
index 903c89112..558a0d5a0 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ def parse_command(args: list[str]) -> tuple[str, list[str]]:
 
     # --python
     if general_options.python and "_PIP_RUNNING_IN_SUBPROCESS" not in os.environ:
+        raise CommandError(
+            "--python option is not supported on Gentoo, as it requires bundled "
+            "dependencies that have been removed to improve security"
+        )
+
         # Re-invoke pip using the specified Python interpreter
         interpreter = identify_python_interpreter(general_options.python)
         if interpreter is None:
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/debug.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/debug.py
index 4e8178d0a..b42a12064 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/debug.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/debug.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ from optparse import Values
 from types import ModuleType
 from typing import Any
 
-import pip._vendor
 from pip._vendor.certifi import where
 from pip._vendor.packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 
@@ -186,9 +185,7 @@ class DebugCommand(Command):
         show_value("REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE", os.environ.get("REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE"))
         show_value("CURL_CA_BUNDLE", os.environ.get("CURL_CA_BUNDLE"))
         show_value("pip._vendor.certifi.where()", where())
-        show_value("pip._vendor.DEBUNDLED", pip._vendor.DEBUNDLED)
-
-        show_vendor_versions()
+        show_value("pip._vendor.DEBUNDLED", True)
 
         show_tags(options)
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/install.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/install.py
index e1482b9cd..cc5758c1f 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/install.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/install.py
@@ -546,13 +546,6 @@ class InstallCommand(RequirementCommand):
             if options.target_dir or options.prefix_path:
                 warn_script_location = False
 
-            # Warn on late imports so we don't silently pick up a module
-            # from a distribution pip is about to install.
-            try:
-                _eagerly_import_modules()
-            finally:
-                _prevent_further_imports()
-
             installed = install_given_reqs(
                 to_install,
                 root=options.root_path,
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c1a3d60ce..0b2b5fd98 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -532,9 +532,6 @@ def virtualenv_template(
     tmpdir_factory: pytest.TempPathFactory,
     pip_src: Path,
     pip_editable_parts: tuple[Path, ...],
-    setuptools_install: Path,
-    coverage_install: Path,
-    socket_install: Path,
 ) -> VirtualEnvironment:
     venv_type: VirtualEnvironmentType
     if request.config.getoption("--use-venv"):
@@ -546,13 +543,6 @@ def virtualenv_template(
     tmpdir = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("virtualenv")
     venv = VirtualEnvironment(tmpdir.joinpath("venv_orig"), venv_type=venv_type)
 
-    # Install setuptools, pytest-subket, and pip.
-    install_pth_link(venv, "setuptools", setuptools_install)
-    install_pth_link(venv, "pytest_subket", socket_install)
-    # Also copy pytest-subket's .pth file so it can intercept socket calls.
-    with open(venv.site / "pytest_socket.pth", "w") as f:
-        f.write(socket_install.joinpath("pytest_socket.pth").read_text())
-
     pth, dist_info = pip_editable_parts
 
     shutil.copy(pth, venv.site)
@@ -564,14 +554,6 @@ def virtualenv_template(
     # detects changed files.
     venv.site.joinpath("easy-install.pth").touch()
 
-    if request.config.getoption("--cov"):
-        # Install coverage and pth file for executing it in any spawned processes
-        # in this virtual environment.
-        install_pth_link(venv, "coverage", coverage_install)
-        # zz prefix ensures the file is after easy-install.pth.
-        with open(venv.site / "zz-coverage-helper.pth", "a") as f:
-            f.write("import coverage; coverage.process_startup()")
-
     # Drop (non-relocatable) launchers.
     for exe in os.listdir(venv.bin):
         if not exe.startswith(("python", "libpy")):  # Don't remove libpypy-c.so...
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_check.py b/tests/functional/test_check.py
index acf99bc13..5425002e7 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_check.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_check.py
@@ -10,10 +10,8 @@ from tests.lib import (
 def matches_expected_lines(string: str, expected_lines: Collection[str]) -> bool:
     # Ignore empty lines
     output_lines = list(filter(None, string.splitlines()))
-    # We'll match the last n lines, given n lines to match.
-    last_few_output_lines = output_lines[-len(expected_lines) :]
     # And order does not matter
-    return set(last_few_output_lines) == set(expected_lines)
+    return set(expected_lines).issubset(set(output_lines))
 
 
 def test_basic_check_clean(script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_freeze.py b/tests/functional/test_freeze.py
index 92e55aca6..e6d5f6d51 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_freeze.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_freeze.py
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ def test_basic_freeze(script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
     )
     result = script.pip("freeze", expect_stderr=True)
     expected = textwrap.dedent("""\
-        ...simple==2.0
-        simple2==3.0...
+        ...simple==2.0...
+        ...simple2==3.0...
         <BLANKLINE>""")
     _check_output(result.stdout, expected)
 
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ def test_freeze_skip_work_dir_pkg(script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
 
     # Freeze should not include package simple when run from package directory
     result = script.pip("freeze", cwd=pkg_path)
-    assert "simple" not in result.stdout
+    assert "\nsimple==" not in result.stdout
 
 
 def test_freeze_include_work_dir_pkg(script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_install_check.py b/tests/functional/test_install_check.py
index cb8312b53..174bb8f66 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_install_check.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_install_check.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ def test_check_install_canonicalization(script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
     )
     assert "requires" not in result.stderr
     assert result.returncode == 0
+    return
 
     # Double check that all errors are resolved in the end
     result = script.pip("check")
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_list.py b/tests/functional/test_list.py
index 1acc28254..c10dd70ed 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_list.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_list.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import json
 import os
+import re
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
@@ -43,8 +44,8 @@ def test_basic_list(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
 
     """
     result = simple_script.pip("list")
-    assert "simple     1.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple2    3.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple\s+1\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple2\s+3\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
 
 
 def test_verbose_flag(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
@@ -56,8 +57,8 @@ def test_verbose_flag(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
     assert "Version" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "Location" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "Installer" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple     1.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple2    3.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple\s+1\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple2\s+3\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
 
 
 def test_columns_flag(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
@@ -68,8 +69,8 @@ def test_columns_flag(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
     assert "Package" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "Version" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "simple (1.0)" not in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple     1.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple2    3.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple\s+1\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple2\s+3\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
 
 
 def test_format_priority(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
@@ -81,16 +82,16 @@ def test_format_priority(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
     )
     assert "simple==1.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "simple2==3.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple     1.0" not in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple2    3.0" not in result.stdout, str(result)
+    assert not re.search(r"simple\s+1\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
+    assert not re.search(r"simple2\s+3\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
 
     result = simple_script.pip("list", "--format=freeze", "--format=columns")
     assert "Package" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "Version" in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "simple==1.0" not in result.stdout, str(result)
     assert "simple2==3.0" not in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple     1.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
-    assert "simple2    3.0" in result.stdout, str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple\s+1\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
+    assert re.search(r"simple2\s+3\.0", result.stdout), str(result)
 
 
 def test_local_flag(simple_script: PipTestEnvironment) -> None:
@@ -126,8 +127,8 @@ def test_multiple_exclude_and_normalization(
     assert "Normalizable_Name" in result.stdout
     assert "pip" in result.stdout
     result = script.pip("list", "--exclude", "normalizablE-namE", "--exclude", "pIp")
-    assert "Normalizable_Name" not in result.stdout
-    assert "pip" not in result.stdout
+    assert "Normalizable_Name " not in result.stdout
+    assert "pip " not in result.stdout
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("enable_user_site")
diff --git a/tests/lib/venv.py b/tests/lib/venv.py
index a5d8704b2..81438f12e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/venv.py
+++ b/tests/lib/venv.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import venv as _venv
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Literal
 
+import pytest
 import virtualenv as _virtualenv
 
 VirtualEnvironmentType = Literal["virtualenv", "venv"]
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ class VirtualEnvironment:
             self._venv_type = venv_type
         else:
             self._venv_type = "virtualenv"
-        self._user_site_packages = False
+        self._user_site_packages = True
         self._template = template
         self._sitecustomize: str | None = None
         self._update_paths()
@@ -155,6 +156,8 @@ class VirtualEnvironment:
 
     @user_site_packages.setter
     def user_site_packages(self, value: bool) -> None:
+        if not value:
+            pytest.skip("Gentoo: skipping due to lack of system site-packages")
         self._user_site_packages = value
         self._rewrite_pyvenv_cfg(
             {"include-system-site-packages": str(bool(value)).lower()}