diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 6bb305b..5b79b3c 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 def main(arguments: argparse.Namespace):
     status = 0
     results = dict()
+    # Run.run() changes cwd, but relative CCM_DIR paths belong to this invocation.
+    invocation_dir = os.getcwd()
 
     for driver_version in arguments.versions:
         for protocol in arguments.protocols:
@@ -26,7 +28,8 @@ def main(arguments: argparse.Namespace):
                              protocol=protocol,
                              tests=arguments.tests,
                              scylla_version=arguments.scylla_version,
-                             collect_only=arguments.collect_only)
+                             collect_only=arguments.collect_only,
+                             invocation_dir=invocation_dir)
             try:
                 result = runner.run()
                 logging.info("=== (%s:%s) PYTHON DRIVER MATRIX RESULTS FOR PROTOCOL v%s ===",
diff --git a/run.py b/run.py
index c2a4443..8a45bd9 100644
--- a/run.py
+++ b/run.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import re
+import shlex
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 from functools import cached_property, lru_cache
@@ -16,7 +17,8 @@
 
 class Run:
     def __init__(self, python_driver_git, python_driver_type, scylla_install_dir, tag, protocol, tests, scylla_version,
-                 collect_only):
+                 collect_only, invocation_dir=None):
+        self._invocation_dir = Path(invocation_dir) if invocation_dir is not None else Path.cwd()
         self.driver_version = tag.split("-", maxsplit=1)[0]
         self._full_driver_version = tag
         self._python_driver_git = Path(python_driver_git)
@@ -146,8 +148,14 @@ def _apply_patch_files(self) -> bool:
 
     @lru_cache(maxsize=None)
     def _create_venv(self):
+        ccm_source = "https://github.com/scylladb/scylla-ccm/archive/master.zip"
+        if self.environment.get("CCM_DIR"):
+            ccm_dir = (self._invocation_dir / self.environment["CCM_DIR"]).resolve()
+            if not ccm_dir.is_dir():
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"CCM_DIR does not point to a directory: {ccm_dir}")
+            ccm_source = str(ccm_dir)
         basic_packages = ("pytest==7.4.4",
-                          "https://github.com/scylladb/scylla-ccm/archive/master.zip",
+                          ccm_source,
                           "pytest-subtests")
         if self._venv_path.exists() and self._venv_path.is_dir():
             logging.info("Removing old python venv in directory '%s'", self._venv_path)
@@ -163,7 +171,8 @@ def _create_venv(self):
             pip_prefix = ""
         self._run_command_in_shell(cmd=venv_cmd)
         logging.info("Installing the following packages:\n%s", "\n".join(basic_packages))
-        self._run_command_in_shell(cmd=f"{self._activate_venv_cmd()} && {pip_prefix}pip install {' '.join(basic_packages)}")
+        packages = shlex.join(basic_packages)
+        self._run_command_in_shell(cmd=f"{self._activate_venv_cmd()} && {pip_prefix}pip install {packages}")
 
     @lru_cache(maxsize=None)
     def _activate_venv_cmd(self):
@@ -214,7 +223,7 @@ def _install_python_requirements(self):
         except Exception as exc:
             logging.error("Failed to install python requirements for version %s, with: %s",
                           self.driver_version, str(exc))
-            return False
+            raise
 
     def _checkout_branch(self):
         try:
diff --git a/scripts/run_test.sh b/scripts/run_test.sh
index 5ee4cd5..ab1455c 100755
--- a/scripts/run_test.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_test.sh
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ docker_cmd="docker run --init --detach=true \
     -e DEV_MODE \
     -e PIP_CACHE_DIR \
     -e UV_CACHE_DIR \
+    -e CCM_DIR \
     -e PYTEST_ADDOPTS \
     -e WORKSPACE \
     ${BUILD_OPTIONS} \
diff --git a/tests/test_run_setup.py b/tests/test_run_setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..579c505
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_run_setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+import argparse
+import json
+import shlex
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+import pytest
+
+from run import Run
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def runner(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("DEV_MODE", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("CCM_DIR", raising=False)
+    result = Run(tmp_path, "apache", "", "3.29.3", 4,
+                 "tests.integration.standard", "2026.1.15", False)
+    result.__dict__["xunit_dir"] = tmp_path
+    return result
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("driver_type", ["apache", "scylla"])
+def test_bootstrap_uses_configured_ccm_checkout(runner, tmp_path, monkeypatch, driver_type):
+    ccm_dir = tmp_path / "CCM checkout; echo unwanted"
+    ccm_dir.mkdir()
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CCM_DIR", str(ccm_dir))
+    runner._python_driver_type = driver_type
+    runner._run_command_in_shell = Mock()
+
+    runner._create_venv()
+
+    install = shlex.split(runner._run_command_in_shell.call_args.kwargs["cmd"])
+    assert install[install.index("install") + 1:] == [
+        "pytest==7.4.4", str(ccm_dir), "pytest-subtests",
+    ]
+    assert ("uv" in install) == (driver_type == "scylla")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ccm_dir", [None, ""])
+def test_bootstrap_keeps_archive_fallback_without_ccm_dir(runner, monkeypatch, ccm_dir):
+    if ccm_dir is not None:
+        monkeypatch.setenv("CCM_DIR", ccm_dir)
+    runner._run_command_in_shell = Mock()
+
+    runner._create_venv()
+
+    install = shlex.split(runner._run_command_in_shell.call_args.kwargs["cmd"])
+    assert "https://github.com/scylladb/scylla-ccm/archive/master.zip" in install
+
+
+def test_missing_configured_ccm_checkout_fails_before_install(runner, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CCM_DIR", str(tmp_path / "missing-ccm"))
+    runner._run_command_in_shell = Mock()
+
+    with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError, match="CCM_DIR"):
+        runner._create_venv()
+
+    runner._run_command_in_shell.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_install_failure_is_reported_with_original_cause(runner, monkeypatch):
+    import main
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "Run", Mock(return_value=runner))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("run.os.chdir", Mock())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_checkout_branch", Mock(return_value=True))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_apply_patch_files", Mock(return_value=True))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_run_command_in_shell", Mock(side_effect=[
+        None, AssertionError("HTTP error 504 while getting scylla-ccm/archive/master.zip"),
+    ]))
+    execute_tests = Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr("run.subprocess.call", execute_tests)
+    arguments = argparse.Namespace(
+        versions=["3.29.3"], protocols=[4], python_driver_git=str(runner._python_driver_git),
+        driver_type="apache", scylla_install_dir="", tests="tests.integration.standard",
+        scylla_version="2026.1.15", collect_only=False, recipients=None,
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exit_info:
+        main.main(arguments)
+
+    assert exit_info.value.code == 1
+    execute_tests.assert_not_called()
+    metadata = json.loads((runner.xunit_dir / runner.metadata_file_name).read_text())
+    assert "HTTP error 504" in metadata["failure_reason"]
+    assert "FileNotFoundError" not in metadata["failure_reason"]
+    assert not runner.xunit_file.exists()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("driver_type", ["apache", "scylla"])
+def test_relative_ccm_checkout_survives_matrix_directory_changes(runner, tmp_path, monkeypatch, driver_type):
+    import main
+
+    invocation_dir = tmp_path / "invocation"
+    ccm_dir = invocation_dir / "CCM checkout; echo unwanted"
+    ccm_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    monkeypatch.chdir(invocation_dir)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CCM_DIR", ccm_dir.name)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Run, "xunit_dir", tmp_path / "reports")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Run, "_checkout_branch", Mock(return_value=True))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Run, "_apply_patch_files", Mock(return_value=True))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("run.shutil.which", Mock(return_value="uv"))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("run.ProcessJUnit", Mock(return_value=Mock(summary={"tests": 1}, is_failed=False)))
+    install_commands = Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Run, "_run_command_in_shell", install_commands)
+    execute_tests = Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr("run.subprocess.call", execute_tests)
+    arguments = argparse.Namespace(
+        versions=["3.29.3", "3.29.2"], protocols=[3, 4], python_driver_git=str(runner._python_driver_git),
+        driver_type=driver_type, scylla_install_dir="", tests="tests.integration.standard",
+        scylla_version="2026.1.15", collect_only=False, recipients=None,
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exit_info:
+        main.main(arguments)
+
+    assert exit_info.value.code == 0
+    assert Path.cwd() == runner._python_driver_git
+    assert execute_tests.call_count == 4
+    bootstrap_installs = [
+        shlex.split(call.kwargs["cmd"])
+        for call in install_commands.call_args_list
+        if "pytest==7.4.4" in call.kwargs.get("cmd", "")
+    ]
+    assert len(bootstrap_installs) == 4
+    for install in bootstrap_installs:
+        assert install[install.index("install") + 1:] == [
+            "pytest==7.4.4", str(ccm_dir), "pytest-subtests",
+        ]
diff --git a/tests/test_run_test_script.py b/tests/test_run_test_script.py
index 56aed7d..c5d4860 100644
--- a/tests/test_run_test_script.py
+++ b/tests/test_run_test_script.py
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ def test_run_test_constructs_one_docker_command_with_workspace_env(tmp_path):
     run_call = f" {calls[0]} "
     assert " -e PIP_CACHE_DIR " in run_call
     assert " -e UV_CACHE_DIR " in run_call
+    assert " -e CCM_DIR " in run_call
     assert " -e PYTEST_ADDOPTS " in run_call
     assert " -e WORKSPACE " in run_call
     assert f" -v {home}/.pip-cache:{home}/.pip-cache " in run_call