diff --git a/package/pkg-python.mk b/package/pkg-python.mk
index 452fa0d3ea..5794e3a195 100644
--- a/package/pkg-python.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-python.mk
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_ENV = \
 	$(PKG_PYTHON_ENV) \
 	SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS=stdlib
 
+PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD = \
+	$(if $(wildcard $($(PKG)_BUILDDIR)/setup.py),setup.py,-c 'from setuptools import setup;setup()')
+
 PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_OPTS = \
 	--install-headers=/usr/include/python$(PYTHON3_VERSION_MAJOR) \
 	--prefix=/usr \
@@ -180,13 +183,13 @@ endif
 else ifeq ($$($(2)_SETUP_TYPE),setuptools)
 ifeq ($(4),target)
 $(2)_BASE_ENV = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_ENV)
-$(2)_BASE_BUILD_CMD = setup.py build
-$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_TARGET_CMD = setup.py install --no-compile $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_TARGET_OPTS)
-$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_STAGING_CMD = setup.py install $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_STAGING_OPTS)
+$(2)_BASE_BUILD_CMD = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD) build
+$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_TARGET_CMD = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD) install --no-compile $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_TARGET_OPTS)
+$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_STAGING_CMD = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD) install $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_STAGING_OPTS)
 else
 $(2)_BASE_ENV = $$(HOST_PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_ENV)
-$(2)_BASE_BUILD_CMD = setup.py build
-$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_CMD = setup.py install $$(HOST_PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_OPTS)
+$(2)_BASE_BUILD_CMD = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD) build
+$(2)_BASE_INSTALL_CMD = $$(PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_CMD) install $$(HOST_PKG_PYTHON_SETUPTOOLS_INSTALL_OPTS)
 endif
 else ifneq ($$(filter flit pep517,$$($(2)_SETUP_TYPE)),)
 ifeq ($(4),target)