diff --git a/roles/pulp_common/tasks/install_pip.yml b/roles/pulp_common/tasks/install_pip.yml
index e95dd2c92..95f325611 100644
--- a/roles/pulp_common/tasks/install_pip.yml
+++ b/roles/pulp_common/tasks/install_pip.yml
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@
         virtualenv: '{{ pulp_install_dir }}'
         virtualenv_command: '{{ pulp_python_interpreter }} -m venv'
       when: pulp_source_dir is undefined
+      environment:
+        SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS: stdlib
       notify: Collect static content
 
     - name: Install pulpcore package from source
@@ -157,6 +159,8 @@
         virtualenv: '{{ pulp_install_dir }}'
         virtualenv_command: '{{ pulp_python_interpreter }} -m venv'
       when: pulp_source_dir is defined
+      environment:
+        SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS: stdlib
       register: result
       # This is a hack. Editable pip installs are always changed, which fails molecule's
       # idempotence test.
@@ -192,6 +196,8 @@
         virtualenv_command: '{{ pulp_python_interpreter }} -m venv'
       with_dict: '{{ pulp_install_plugins_normalized }}'
       when: item.value.source_dir is undefined
+      environment:
+        SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS: stdlib
       notify: Collect static content
 
     - name: Install Pulp plugins from source
@@ -206,6 +212,8 @@
         virtualenv_command: '{{ pulp_python_interpreter }} -m venv'
       with_dict: '{{ pulp_install_plugins_normalized }}'
       when: item.value.source_dir is defined
+      environment:
+        SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS: stdlib
       register: result
       # This is a hack. Editable pip installs are always changed, which fails molecule's
       # idempotence test.
diff --git a/roles/pulp_devel/tasks/install_docs_requirements.yml b/roles/pulp_devel/tasks/install_docs_requirements.yml
index 1596a3eae..be1e7eaf2 100644
--- a/roles/pulp_devel/tasks/install_docs_requirements.yml
+++ b/roles/pulp_devel/tasks/install_docs_requirements.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
     virtualenv: '{{ pulp_install_dir }}'
     virtualenv_command: '{{ pulp_python_interpreter }} -m venv'
   when: pulp_source_dir is defined
+  environment:
+    SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS: stdlib
 
 - name: Install requirements for developer scripts
   pip: