diff --git a/aksetup_helper.py b/aksetup_helper.py
index 1752dd0a5fa77fe8a38ee4715024861a68695269..8fd58f2b9bae4a0141cd5d3e0ba6fd9144160df4 100644
--- a/aksetup_helper.py
+++ b/aksetup_helper.py
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
-import setuptools  # noqa
-from setuptools import Extension
 import sys
-from setuptools.command.build_ext import (  # noqa: N812
-        build_ext as BaseBuildExtCommand)
+try:
+    from setuptools import Extension
+    from setuptools.command.build_ext import (  # noqa: N812
+            build_ext as BaseBuildExtCommand)
+
+except ImportError:
+    class Extension:
+        pass
+
+    class BaseBuildExtCommand:
+        pass
 
 
 def count_down_delay(delay):