diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/default.nix
index c131a3b0c0eb..6c6aea0f161c 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/default.nix
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 , rapidjson
 , pytestCheckHook
 , pytz
-, glibcLocales
+, setuptools
+, substituteAll
 }:
 
 let
@@ -25,25 +26,30 @@ let
         hash = "sha256-BjSZEwfCXA/9V+kxQ/2JPWbc26jQn35CfN8+8NW24s4=";
       })
     ];
-    # valgrind_unittest failed
-    cmakeFlags = old.cmakeFlags ++ [ "-DCMAKE_CTEST_ARGUMENTS=-E;valgrind_unittest" ];
   });
 in buildPythonPackage rec {
-  version = "1.14";
+  version = "1.16";
   pname = "python-rapidjson";
   disabled = pythonOlder "3.8";
 
-  format = "setuptools";
+  pyproject = true;
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "python-rapidjson";
     repo = "python-rapidjson";
     rev = "refs/tags/v${version}";
-    hash = "sha256-fCC6jYUIB89HlEnbsmL0MeCBOO4NAZtePuPgZKYxoM8=";
+    hash = "sha256-4Z8cNu6tK5/yAu6b9Vb/EdXQj+fQgeT0QIszTEUurVM=";
   };
 
-  setupPyBuildFlags = [
-    "--rj-include-dir=${lib.getDev rapidjson'}/include"
+  patches = [
+    (substituteAll {
+      src = ./rapidjson-include-dir.patch;
+      rapidjson = lib.getDev rapidjson';
+    })
+  ];
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools
   ];
 
   nativeCheckInputs = [
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/rapidjson-include-dir.patch b/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/rapidjson-include-dir.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..da15fec61ac6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/python-rapidjson/rapidjson-include-dir.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
+index e86b1b2..9d34d0d 100644
+--- a/setup.py
++++ b/setup.py
+@@ -29,19 +29,7 @@ if sys.version_info < (3, 6):
+ 
+ ROOT_PATH = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+ 
+-rj_include_dir = './rapidjson/include'
+-
+-for idx, arg in enumerate(sys.argv[:]):
+-    if arg.startswith('--rj-include-dir='):
+-        sys.argv.pop(idx)
+-        rj_include_dir = arg.split('=', 1)[1]
+-        break
+-else:
+-    if not os.path.isdir(os.path.join(ROOT_PATH, 'rapidjson', 'include')):
+-        raise RuntimeError("RapidJSON sources not found: if you cloned the git"
+-                           " repository, you should initialize the rapidjson submodule"
+-                           " as explained in the README.rst; in all other cases you may"
+-                           " want to report the issue.")
++rj_include_dir = '@rapidjson@/include'
+ 
+ with open('version.txt', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+     VERSION = f.read()