diff --git a/pandas/tests/scripts/test_validate_docstrings.py b/pandas/tests/scripts/test_validate_docstrings.py
index cebcbf5a61465..29da40cd78d22 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/scripts/test_validate_docstrings.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/scripts/test_validate_docstrings.py
@@ -471,6 +471,9 @@ def import_scripts(self):
             from validate_docstrings import validate_one
             globals()[global_validate_one] = validate_one
         except ImportError:
+            # Remove addition to `sys.path`
+            sys.path.pop()
+
             # Import will fail if the pandas installation is not inplace.
             raise pytest.skip("pandas/scripts directory does not exist")