diff --git a/plugins/asyncio/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/asyncio/uwsgiplugin.py
index 7cb17f54eb..56e56e8150 100644
--- a/plugins/asyncio/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/asyncio/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 NAME = 'asyncio'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True)
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 GCC_LIST = ['asyncio']
diff --git a/plugins/gevent/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/gevent/uwsgiplugin.py
index 4ff550a9f9..422a5ffc19 100644
--- a/plugins/gevent/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/gevent/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 NAME = 'gevent'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True)
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 
diff --git a/plugins/greenlet/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/greenlet/uwsgiplugin.py
index 27b1da1235..c712b53699 100644
--- a/plugins/greenlet/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/greenlet/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 NAME = 'greenlet'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True)
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 
diff --git a/plugins/python/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/python/uwsgiplugin.py
index e3765c997b..7de8457376 100644
--- a/plugins/python/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/python/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 import os
 import sys
-
-from distutils import sysconfig
-
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 def get_python_version():
     version = sysconfig.get_config_var('VERSION')
@@ -30,10 +39,7 @@ def get_python_version():
     'raw'
 ]
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 
 if 'UWSGI_PYTHON_NOLIB' not in os.environ:
diff --git a/plugins/pyuwsgi/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/pyuwsgi/uwsgiplugin.py
index 4b6bce042a..3bfd66eddf 100644
--- a/plugins/pyuwsgi/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/pyuwsgi/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
-import os, sys
+import os
+import sys
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 os.environ['UWSGI_PYTHON_NOLIB'] = '1'
 
 NAME = 'pyuwsgi'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 
diff --git a/plugins/stackless/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/stackless/uwsgiplugin.py
index d720e2b9bd..a304b97a52 100644
--- a/plugins/stackless/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/stackless/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 NAME = 'stackless'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 
diff --git a/plugins/tornado/uwsgiplugin.py b/plugins/tornado/uwsgiplugin.py
index c0179b609b..f80b6efbf1 100644
--- a/plugins/tornado/uwsgiplugin.py
+++ b/plugins/tornado/uwsgiplugin.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-from distutils import sysconfig
+try:
+    from distutils import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
+        sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
+    ]
+except ImportError:
+    import sysconfig
+    paths = [
+        sysconfig.get_path('include'),
+        sysconfig.get_path('platinclude'),
+    ]
 
 NAME = 'tornado'
 
-CFLAGS = [
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(),
-    '-I' + sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True),
-]
+CFLAGS = ['-I' + path for path in paths]
 LDFLAGS = []
 LIBS = []
 
diff --git a/setup.cpyext.py b/setup.cpyext.py
index c29b1d3a9a..9a238d7ab0 100644
--- a/setup.cpyext.py
+++ b/setup.cpyext.py
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@
 import shlex
 import uwsgiconfig
 
-from setuptools import setup
+from setuptools import setup, Extension
 from setuptools.command.build_ext import build_ext
-from distutils.core import Extension
 
 
 class uWSGIBuildExt(build_ext):
diff --git a/uwsgiconfig.py b/uwsgiconfig.py
index 344e0a941d..26a5297a53 100644
--- a/uwsgiconfig.py
+++ b/uwsgiconfig.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 import sys
 import subprocess
+import sysconfig
 from threading import Thread, Lock
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
@@ -20,8 +21,6 @@
 except ImportError:
     from Queue import Queue
 
-from distutils import sysconfig
-
 try:
     import ConfigParser
 except ImportError: