diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4f18f1209e8..0e01f47e6a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ jobs:
         with: { python-version: '3.12' }
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       - name: Install python deps
-        run: python -m pip install psycopg2-binary xmltodict
+        run: python -m pip install -r smoketests/requirements.txt
       - name: Run smoketests
         # Note: clear_database and replication only work in private
         run: python -m smoketests ${{ matrix.smoketest_args }} -x clear_database replication teams
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 32bf1df4385..5189e22e2c1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -226,3 +226,6 @@ new.json
 
 # Symlinked output from `nix build`
 result
+
+# Python venv directories
+venv/
diff --git a/smoketests/README.md b/smoketests/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ec53333efad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smoketests/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+To use the smoketests, you first need to install the dependencies:
+
+```
+python -m venv smoketests/venv
+smoketests/venv/bin/pip install -r smoketests/requirements.txt
+```
+
+Then, run the smoketests like so:
+```
+smoketests/venv/bin/python -m smoketests <args>
+```
diff --git a/smoketests/requirements.txt b/smoketests/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..697856f84f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smoketests/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+psycopg2-binary
+toml
+xmltodict