diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 87d347b46d1..81b80896898 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -5365,12 +5365,12 @@ if BUILD_PYTHON2_BINDINGS
 	if [ "$(DESTDIR)" = "" ]; then \
 		cd $(builddir)/src/config; \
 		$(PYTHON2) setup.py build --build-base $(abs_builddir)/src/config \
-			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --prefix=$(PYTHON2_PREFIX) \
+			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --root=$(PYTHON2_PREFIX) \
 			--record=$(abs_builddir)/src/config/.files2; \
 	else \
 		cd $(builddir)/src/config; \
 		$(PYTHON2) setup.py build --build-base $(abs_builddir)/src/config \
-			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --prefix=$(PYTHON2_PREFIX) \
+			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --root=$(PYTHON2_PREFIX) \
 			--record=$(abs_builddir)/src/config/.files2 --root=$(DESTDIR); \
 	fi
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(py2execdir) && \
@@ -5383,12 +5383,12 @@ if BUILD_PYTHON3_BINDINGS
 	if [ "$(DESTDIR)" = "" ]; then \
 		cd $(builddir)/src/config; \
 		$(PYTHON3) setup.py build --build-base $(abs_builddir)/src/config \
-			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --prefix=$(PYTHON3_PREFIX) \
+			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --root=$(PYTHON3_PREFIX) \
 			--record=$(abs_builddir)/src/config/.files3; \
 	else \
 		cd $(builddir)/src/config; \
 		$(PYTHON3) setup.py build --build-base $(abs_builddir)/src/config \
-			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --prefix=$(PYTHON3_PREFIX) \
+			install $(DISTSETUPOPTS) --root=$(PYTHON3_PREFIX) \
 			--record=$(abs_builddir)/src/config/.files3 --root=$(DESTDIR); \
 	fi
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(py3execdir) && \
diff --git a/contrib/sssd.spec.in b/contrib/sssd.spec.in
index 66e198350dd..ab482ba91a2 100644
--- a/contrib/sssd.spec.in
+++ b/contrib/sssd.spec.in
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ BuildRequires: pcre2-devel
 BuildRequires: pkgconfig
 BuildRequires: popt-devel
 BuildRequires: python3-devel
+BuildRequires: python3-setuptools
 BuildRequires: samba-devel
 # required for idmap_sss.so
 BuildRequires: samba-winbind
diff --git a/src/config/setup.py.in b/src/config/setup.py.in
index 27f63c4061c..613b050d538 100644
--- a/src/config/setup.py.in
+++ b/src/config/setup.py.in
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@
 #
 
 """
-Python-level packaging using distutils.
+Python-level packaging using setuptools.
 """
 
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import setup
 
 setup(
     name='SSSDConfig',