diff --git a/Lib/_aix_support.py b/Lib/_aix_support.py
index 2c5cd3297de30d..31e9d96355dcfd 100644
--- a/Lib/_aix_support.py
+++ b/Lib/_aix_support.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # if not available, the config_vars are also definitely not available
 # supply substitutes to bootstrap the build
 try:
-    import subprocess
+    from subprocess import check_output
     _have_subprocess = True
     _tmp_bd = get_config_var("AIX_BUILDDATE")
     _bgt = get_config_var("BUILD_GNU_TYPE")
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def _aix_bosmp64():
     """
     if _have_subprocess:
         # We expect all AIX systems to have lslpp installed in this location
-        out = subprocess.check_output(["/usr/bin/lslpp", "-Lqc", "bos.mp64"])
+        out = check_output(["/usr/bin/lslpp", "-Lqc", "bos.mp64"])
         out = out.decode("utf-8").strip().split(":")  # type: ignore
         # Use str() and int() to help mypy see types
         return str(out[2]), int(out[-1])
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-03-08-10-43-22.bpo-39763.rBb9GN.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-03-08-10-43-22.bpo-39763.rBb9GN.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..7e0c8ea5b41b88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-03-08-10-43-22.bpo-39763.rBb9GN.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Update test in `Lib/_aix_support.py` to check for `subprocess.check_output()` rather
+than `subprocess` as a loadable module because 1ec63b62035e73111e204a0e03b83503e1c58f2e
+now provides a minimal subprocess via setup.py.
+Patch by M. Felt.
\ No newline at end of file