diff --git a/python/mozboot/mozboot/base.py b/python/mozboot/mozboot/base.py
index c32946c4ebd07a6da135c5de40738f49f06bed6f..9f4a81ca01996c06e814fe3a095d26c631773e16 100644
--- a/python/mozboot/mozboot/base.py
+++ b/python/mozboot/mozboot/base.py
@@ -170,13 +170,6 @@ class BaseBootstrapper(object):
         to the user, if necessary.
         """
 
-    def suggest_install_distutils(self):
-        """Called if distutils.{sysconfig,spawn} can't be imported."""
-        print(
-            "Does your distro require installing another package for distutils?",
-            file=sys.stderr,
-        )
-
     def suggest_install_pip3(self):
         """Called if pip3 can't be found."""
         print(
diff --git a/python/mozboot/mozboot/bootstrap.py b/python/mozboot/mozboot/bootstrap.py
index e57f496f29a4b049954c0f7aa5957772f16276e8..c2b7480b8e6f171cf1c690fd8af0b656d34adb9a 100644
--- a/python/mozboot/mozboot/bootstrap.py
+++ b/python/mozboot/mozboot/bootstrap.py
@@ -491,22 +491,6 @@ class Bootstrapper(object):
 
     def _validate_python_environment(self, topsrcdir):
         valid = True
-        try:
-            # distutils is singled out here because some distros (namely Ubuntu)
-            # include it in a separate package outside of the main Python
-            # installation.
-            import distutils.spawn
-            import distutils.sysconfig
-
-            assert distutils.sysconfig is not None and distutils.spawn is not None
-        except ImportError as e:
-            print("ERROR: Could not import package %s" % e.name, file=sys.stderr)
-            self.instance.suggest_install_distutils()
-            valid = False
-        except AssertionError:
-            print("ERROR: distutils is not behaving as expected.", file=sys.stderr)
-            self.instance.suggest_install_distutils()
-            valid = False
         pip3 = to_optional_path(which("pip3"))
         if not pip3:
             print("ERROR: Could not find pip3.", file=sys.stderr)
diff --git a/python/mozboot/mozboot/debian.py b/python/mozboot/mozboot/debian.py
index 34e328586ea0e31ab2acce3fa62a15c5dcf50987..63b47a2f03ab8e1dc3d8b50c317597c01e925386 100644
--- a/python/mozboot/mozboot/debian.py
+++ b/python/mozboot/mozboot/debian.py
@@ -17,13 +17,6 @@ class DebianBootstrapper(LinuxBootstrapper, BaseBootstrapper):
         self.dist_id = dist_id
         self.codename = codename
 
-    def suggest_install_distutils(self):
-        print(
-            "HINT: Try installing distutils with "
-            "`apt-get install python3-distutils`.",
-            file=sys.stderr,
-        )
-
     def suggest_install_pip3(self):
         print(
             "HINT: Try installing pip3 with `apt-get install python3-pip`.",
diff --git a/python/mozboot/setup.py b/python/mozboot/setup.py
index 234650dc8a51a79d131a108279fff0881ac26bfa..7b12c1c0c5d8ac151b7faa0036f1250de5cc720f 100644
--- a/python/mozboot/setup.py
+++ b/python/mozboot/setup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
 # You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
-from distutils.core import setup
+try:
+    from setuptools import setup
+except ImportError:
+    from distutils.core import setup
 
 VERSION = "0.1"