diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 999f71ac52daff8e6bfd4f26c1805dfa231a7fd9..89e20c520e3203338e9d5f4482e18014df67ff9a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def main():
 
     check_git_submodules()
 
-    hack_distutils()
+    hack_distutils(what_opt=1)
     conf = get_config(get_config_schema())
 
     TRI_EXTRA_OBJECTS, TRI_EXTRA_DEFINES = \