diff --git a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
index 64e6c952..3f7617e6 100755
--- a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
+++ b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
@@ -336,12 +336,12 @@ http() {
 }
 
 http_head_aria2c() {
-  aria2c --dry-run ${ARIA2_OPTS} "$1" >&4 2>&1
+  aria2c --dry-run --no-conf=true ${ARIA2_OPTS} "$1" >&4 2>&1
 }
 
 http_get_aria2c() {
   local out="${2:-$(mktemp "out.XXXXXX")}"
-  if aria2c --allow-overwrite=true -o "${out}" ${ARIA2_OPTS} "$1" >&4; then
+  if aria2c --allow-overwrite=true --no-conf=true -o "${out}" ${ARIA2_OPTS} "$1" >&4; then
     [ -n "$2" ] || cat "${out}"
   else
     false
diff --git a/plugins/python-build/test/fetch.bats b/plugins/python-build/test/fetch.bats
index b853045e..c131e688 100644
--- a/plugins/python-build/test/fetch.bats
+++ b/plugins/python-build/test/fetch.bats
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 load test_helper
 export PYTHON_BUILD_SKIP_MIRROR=1
 export PYTHON_BUILD_CACHE_PATH=
+export PYTHON_BUILD_ARIA2_OPTS=
 
 setup() {
   ensure_not_found_in_path aria2c
@@ -19,6 +20,20 @@ setup() {
   assert_output_contains "error: failed to download package-1.0.0.tar.gz"
 }
 
+@test "using aria2c if available" {
+  stub aria2c "--allow-overwrite=true --no-conf=true -o * http://example.com/* : cp $FIXTURE_ROOT/\${5##*/} \$4"
+
+  install_fixture definitions/without-checksum
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+Downloading package-1.0.0.tar.gz...
+-> http://example.com/packages/package-1.0.0.tar.gz
+Installing package-1.0.0...
+Installed package-1.0.0 to ${TMP}/install
+OUT
+  unstub aria2c
+}
+
 @test "fetching from git repository" {
   stub git "clone --depth 1 --branch master http://example.com/packages/package.git package-dev : mkdir package-dev"