diff --git a/setuptools/build_meta.py b/setuptools/build_meta.py
index 0067a7ac35..463d3757a3 100644
--- a/setuptools/build_meta.py
+++ b/setuptools/build_meta.py
@@ -112,12 +112,12 @@ def _get_immediate_subdirectories(a_dir):
 
 def get_requires_for_build_wheel(config_settings=None):
     config_settings = _fix_config(config_settings)
-    return _get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=['setuptools', 'wheel'])
+    return _get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=['wheel'])
 
 
 def get_requires_for_build_sdist(config_settings=None):
     config_settings = _fix_config(config_settings)
-    return _get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=['setuptools'])
+    return _get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=[])
 
 
 def prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(metadata_directory, config_settings=None):
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_build_meta.py b/setuptools/tests/test_build_meta.py
index 712e11498e..2a07944696 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_build_meta.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_build_meta.py
@@ -112,13 +112,13 @@ def build_backend(tmpdir, request):
 
 def test_get_requires_for_build_wheel(build_backend):
     actual = build_backend.get_requires_for_build_wheel()
-    expected = ['six', 'setuptools', 'wheel']
+    expected = ['six', 'wheel']
     assert sorted(actual) == sorted(expected)
 
 
 def test_get_requires_for_build_sdist(build_backend):
     actual = build_backend.get_requires_for_build_sdist()
-    expected = ['six', 'setuptools']
+    expected = ['six']
     assert sorted(actual) == sorted(expected)