diff --git a/python/pylibraft/pyproject.toml b/python/pylibraft/pyproject.toml
index 80859673ef..5e9701a47a 100644
--- a/python/pylibraft/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pylibraft/pyproject.toml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ build-dir = "build/{wheel_tag}"
 cmake.build-type = "Release"
 cmake.minimum-version = "3.26.4"
 ninja.make-fallback = true
+sdist.exclude = ["*tests*"]
 sdist.reproducible = true
 wheel.packages = ["pylibraft"]
 
diff --git a/python/raft-dask/pyproject.toml b/python/raft-dask/pyproject.toml
index e0353fa98a..bd256e8e92 100644
--- a/python/raft-dask/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/raft-dask/pyproject.toml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ build-dir = "build/{wheel_tag}"
 cmake.build-type = "Release"
 cmake.minimum-version = "3.26.4"
 ninja.make-fallback = true
+sdist.exclude = ["*tests*"]
 sdist.reproducible = true
 wheel.packages = ["raft_dask"]