diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/master.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/master.nix
index 9d08e76e3768..8be52f704a3c 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/master.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/master.nix
@@ -85,14 +85,13 @@ buildPythonApplication rec {
     hash = "sha256-yUtOJRI04/clCMImh5sokpj6MeBIXjEAdf9xnToqJZs=";
   };
 
-  build-system = [
-  ];
+  build-system = [ setuptools ];
 
   pythonRelaxDeps = [
     "twisted"
   ];
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+  dependencies = [
     # core
     twisted
     jinja2
@@ -105,7 +104,6 @@ buildPythonApplication rec {
     autobahn
     pyjwt
     pyyaml
-    setuptools
     croniter
     importlib-resources
     packaging
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/pkg.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/pkg.nix
index fccabdead3cb..71a79c8132e3 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/pkg.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/pkg.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 {
   lib,
   buildPythonPackage,
+  setuptools,
   isPy3k,
   buildbot,
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage {
-  format = "setuptools";
   pname = "buildbot_pkg";
   inherit (buildbot) src version;
+  pyproject = true;
 
   postPatch = ''
     cd pkg
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ buildPythonPackage {
     substituteInPlace buildbot_pkg.py --replace "os.listdir = listdir" ""
   '';
 
+  build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
   # No tests
   doCheck = false;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/plugins.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/plugins.nix
index c9997553f75a..ccc4b9ecfbfc 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/plugins.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/plugins.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   lib,
   buildPythonPackage,
   fetchurl,
-  callPackage,
+  setuptools,
   mock,
   cairosvg,
   klein,
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
   # this is exposed for potential plugins to use and for nix-update
   inherit buildbot-pkg;
   www = buildPythonPackage rec {
-    format = "setuptools";
     pname = "buildbot_www";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@
       sed -i "s/'buildbot'//" setup.py
     '';
 
-    buildInputs = [
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [
       buildbot-pkg
       mock
     ];
@@ -46,14 +48,16 @@
   console-view = buildPythonPackage rec {
     pname = "buildbot_console_view";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
-    format = "setuptools";
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
       hash = "sha256-VA6xqJBjD4XmQabTN8M+PLvfrG7Hq2ooxChtz2jAT8A=";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [ buildbot-pkg ];
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [ buildbot-pkg ];
 
     # No tests
     doCheck = false;
@@ -69,14 +73,16 @@
   waterfall-view = buildPythonPackage rec {
     pname = "buildbot_waterfall_view";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
-    format = "setuptools";
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
       hash = "sha256-c/Nmr0Uscalnndq72Y6jPM1JDs5OyOCERtuX/GXkxp8=";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [ buildbot-pkg ];
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [ buildbot-pkg ];
 
     # No tests
     doCheck = false;
@@ -92,14 +98,16 @@
   grid-view = buildPythonPackage rec {
     pname = "buildbot_grid_view";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
-    format = "setuptools";
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
       hash = "sha256-AmY8RkFX0POmVpW71nNz4+dFbr0FHGhNR3RJymDNoaw=";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [ buildbot-pkg ];
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [ buildbot-pkg ];
 
     # No tests
     doCheck = false;
@@ -115,14 +123,16 @@
   wsgi-dashboards = buildPythonPackage rec {
     pname = "buildbot_wsgi_dashboards";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
-    format = "setuptools";
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
       hash = "sha256-vofKxpIfbAs7HR43Y7ojHLQEn6/WIdjZPgZieBMsz74=";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [ buildbot-pkg ];
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [ buildbot-pkg ];
 
     # No tests
     doCheck = false;
@@ -138,15 +148,17 @@
   badges = buildPythonPackage rec {
     pname = "buildbot_badges";
     inherit (buildbot-pkg) version;
-    format = "setuptools";
+    pyproject = true;
 
     src = fetchurl {
       url = "https://github.com/buildbot/buildbot/releases/download/v${version}/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
       hash = "sha256-u7HF6X+ClT4rT3LJcTHXWi5oSxCKPXoUDH+QFRI2S0w=";
     };
 
-    buildInputs = [ buildbot-pkg ];
-    propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
+    dependencies = [
+      buildbot-pkg
       cairosvg
       klein
       jinja2
@@ -163,5 +175,4 @@
       license = lib.licenses.gpl2;
     };
   };
-
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/worker.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/worker.nix
index 10eaa8933986..ad464fc47ebb 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/worker.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/continuous-integration/buildbot/worker.nix
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
   # patch
   coreutils,
 
+  # build system
+  setuptools,
+
   # propagates
   autobahn,
   msgpack,
@@ -15,7 +18,6 @@
   # tests
   parameterized,
   psutil,
-  setuptools-trial,
 
   # passthru
   nixosTests,
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@
 buildPythonPackage {
   pname = "buildbot_worker";
   inherit (buildbot) src version;
-  format = "setuptools";
+  pyproject = true;
 
   postPatch = ''
     cd worker
@@ -33,11 +35,9 @@ buildPythonPackage {
       --replace /usr/bin/tail "${coreutils}/bin/tail"
   '';
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
-    setuptools-trial
-  ];
+  build-system = [ setuptools ];
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+  dependencies = [
     autobahn
     msgpack
     twisted