diff --git a/dev-requirements.txt b/dev-requirements.txt
index d118f1e7..04901b66 100644
--- a/dev-requirements.txt
+++ b/dev-requirements.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ coverage
 pytest
 pytest-cov
 cython
+setuptools
diff --git a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_inner.py b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_inner.py
index e6103141..22fa7919 100644
--- a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_inner.py
+++ b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_inner.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import os
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import Extension, setup
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
-from distutils.extension import Extension
 
 from build_utils import set_cc_variables
 from build_utils import get_openmp_flag
diff --git a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_nested_prange_blas.py b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_nested_prange_blas.py
index 6a06d468..81bb568c 100644
--- a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_nested_prange_blas.py
+++ b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_nested_prange_blas.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import os
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import Extension, setup
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
-from distutils.extension import Extension
 
 from build_utils import set_cc_variables
 from build_utils import get_openmp_flag
diff --git a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_outer.py b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_outer.py
index 8f875bdf..d74dd5eb 100644
--- a/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_outer.py
+++ b/tests/_openmp_test_helper/setup_outer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import os
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import Extension, setup
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
-from distutils.extension import Extension
 
 from build_utils import set_cc_variables
 from build_utils import get_openmp_flag