diff --git a/pylib/setup.py b/pylib/setup.py
index ffb93affd..9462d2542 100644
--- a/pylib/setup.py
+++ b/pylib/setup.py
@@ -23,5 +23,6 @@ setuptools.setup(
         "protobuf",
         'psutil; sys_platform == "win32"',
         'distro; sys_platform != "darwin" and sys_platform != "win32"',
+        "fluent.runtime",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/pylib/tests/test_collection.py b/pylib/tests/test_collection.py
index 623e16181..3fc58c44d 100644
--- a/pylib/tests/test_collection.py
+++ b/pylib/tests/test_collection.py
@@ -158,7 +158,37 @@ def test_translate():
     def no_uni(s: str) -> str:
         return s.replace("\u2068", "").replace("\u2069", "")
 
-    assert tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "valid-key") == "a valid key"
-    assert "invalid-key" in tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "invalid-key")
-    assert no_uni(tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "plural", hats=1)) == "You have 1 hat."
-    assert no_uni(tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "plural", hats=2)) == "You have 2 hats."
+    def test_backend():
+        assert tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "valid-key") == "a valid key"
+        assert "invalid-key" in tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "invalid-key")
+        assert no_uni(tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "plural", hats=1)) == "You have 1 hat."
+        assert no_uni(tr(StringsGroup.TEST, "plural", hats=2)) == "You have 2 hats."
+
+    import time
+    t = time.time()
+    test_backend()
+    print(time.time() - t)
+
+    from fluent.runtime import FluentBundle, FluentResource
+
+    test_path = os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(__file__), "../../rslib/tests/support/test.ftl"
+    )
+
+    def python_render(bundle, key, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            return bundle.format_pattern(bundle.get_message(key).value, kwargs)[0]
+        except:
+            return f"Missing key: {key}"
+
+    def test_python():
+        bundle = FluentBundle(["en-US"])
+        bundle.add_resource(FluentResource(open(test_path).read()))
+        assert python_render(bundle, "valid-key") == "a valid key"
+        assert "invalid-key" in python_render(bundle, "invalid-key")
+        assert no_uni(python_render(bundle, "plural", hats=1)) == "You have 1 hat."
+        assert no_uni(python_render(bundle, "plural", hats=2)) == "You have 2 hats."
+
+    t = time.time()
+    test_python()
+    print(time.time() - t)