diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/avro3k/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/avro3k/default.nix
index a2e9c344c564..cc85bb4611a6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/avro3k/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/avro3k/default.nix
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@
   lib,
   buildPythonPackage,
   fetchPypi,
+  setuptools,
   isPy3k,
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "avro3k";
   version = "1.7.7-SNAPSHOT";
-  format = "setuptools";
+  pyproject = true;
   disabled = !isPy3k;
 
   src = fetchPypi {
@@ -19,9 +20,11 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   # setuptools.extern.packaging.version.InvalidVersion: Invalid version: '1.7.7-SNAPSHOT'
   postPatch = ''
     substituteInPlace setup.py \
-      --replace "1.7.7-SNAPSHOT" "1.7.7"
+      --replace-fail "1.7.7-SNAPSHOT" "1.7.7"
   '';
 
+  build-system = [ setuptools ];
+
   doCheck = false; # No such file or directory: './run_tests.py
 
   meta = with lib; {