diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.10.1.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.10.1.ebuild
index 82645a6b53583..23befa2424508 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.10.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.10.1.ebuild
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1
 
diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.11.2.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.11.2.ebuild
index 12b483b89bac2..28ac6f3199898 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.11.2.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.11.2.ebuild
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright 2008-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2008-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1
 
diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.8.0.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.8.0.ebuild
index e95319dbff3d9..83dcab48f6cf0 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.8.0.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.8.0.ebuild
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright 2008-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2008-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1
 
diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.1.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.1.ebuild
index 634283beb42ec..2ac416dab44d7 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.1.ebuild
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright 2008-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2008-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1
 
diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.2.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.2.ebuild
index 634283beb42ec..2ac416dab44d7 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.2.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-3.9.2.ebuild
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright 2008-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2008-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1
 
diff --git a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-9999.ebuild b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-9999.ebuild
index 9e9d34cbcc8a1..5fddaadfdf53d 100644
--- a/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-python/protobuf-python/protobuf-python-9999.ebuild
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright 2008-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2008-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 EAPI="7"
-PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_5,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+PYTHON_COMPAT=(python{2_7,3_6,3_7,3_8})
+DISTUTILS_USE_SETUPTOOLS="manual"
 
 inherit distutils-r1