diff --git a/tests/bind_mode_events.expect b/tests/bind_mode_events.expect
deleted file mode 100644
index bec435d0c..000000000
--- a/tests/bind_mode_events.expect
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-# vim: set filetype=expect:
-spawn $fish
-expect_prompt
-
-send "set -g fish_key_bindings fish_vi_key_bindings\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-send "echo ready to go\r"
-expect_prompt -re {\r\nready to go\r\n} {
-    puts "ready to go"
-}
-send "function add_change --on-variable fish_bind_mode ; set -g MODE_CHANGES \$MODE_CHANGES \$fish_bind_mode ; end\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-# normal mode
-send "\033"
-sleep 0.050
-
-# insert mode
-send "i"
-sleep 0.050
-
-# back to normal mode
-send "\033"
-sleep 0.050
-
-# insert mode again
-send "i"
-sleep 0.050
-
-send "echo mode changes: \$MODE_CHANGES\r"
-expect_prompt -re {\r\nmode changes: default insert default insert\r\n} {
-        puts "Correct mode changes"
-} unmatched {
-    puts "Incorrect mode changes"
-}
diff --git a/tests/bind_mode_events.expect.err b/tests/bind_mode_events.expect.err
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb..000000000
diff --git a/tests/bind_mode_events.expect.out b/tests/bind_mode_events.expect.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 487091460..000000000
--- a/tests/bind_mode_events.expect.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-ready to go
-Correct mode changes
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/bind_mode_events.py b/tests/pexpects/bind_mode_events.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0f262346
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pexpects/bind_mode_events.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from pexpect_helper import SpawnedProc
+
+sp = SpawnedProc()
+send, sendline, sleep, expect_prompt = sp.send, sp.sendline, sp.sleep, sp.expect_prompt
+expect_prompt()
+
+send("set -g fish_key_bindings fish_vi_key_bindings\r")
+expect_prompt()
+
+send("echo ready to go\r")
+expect_prompt("\r\nready to go\r\n")
+send("function add_change --on-variable fish_bind_mode ; set -g MODE_CHANGES $MODE_CHANGES $fish_bind_mode ; end\r")
+expect_prompt()
+
+# normal mode
+send("\033")
+sleep(0.050)
+
+# insert mode
+send("i")
+sleep(0.050)
+
+# back to normal mode
+send("\033")
+sleep(0.050)
+
+# insert mode again
+send("i")
+sleep(0.050)
+
+send("echo mode changes: $MODE_CHANGES\r")
+expect_prompt("\r\nmode changes: default insert default insert\r\n")