diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders.nix b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders.nix
index 43ff0018714f..f06d2136b8c6 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders.nix
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ rec {
       command ? "${package.meta.mainProgram or package.pname or package.name} --version",
       version ? package.version,
     }: runCommand "test-version" { nativeBuildInputs = [ package ]; meta.timeout = 60; } ''
-      ${command} | grep -Fw ${version}
+      ${command} |& grep -Fw ${version}
       touch $out
     '';
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/buf/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/buf/default.nix
index 84979df92c24..1b9763feb00a 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/buf/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/buf/default.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 , fetchFromGitHub
 , protobuf
 , git
+, testVersion
+, buf
 }:
 
 buildGoModule rec {
@@ -54,13 +56,7 @@ buildGoModule rec {
     runHook postInstall
   '';
 
-  doInstallCheck = true;
-  installCheckPhase = ''
-    runHook preInstallCheck
-    $out/bin/buf --help
-    $out/bin/buf --version 2>&1 | grep "${version}"
-    runHook postInstallCheck
-  '';
+  passthru.tests.version = testVersion { package = buf; };
 
   meta = with lib; {
     homepage = "https://buf.build";