diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/symengine/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/symengine/default.nix
index 7d02d2e0c6fd..d59abb27c8d6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/symengine/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/symengine/default.nix
@@ -1,18 +1,23 @@
-{ lib
-, buildPythonPackage
-, fetchFromGitHub
-, cython
-, cmake
-, symengine
-, pytest
-, sympy
-, python
+{
+  lib,
+  buildPythonPackage,
+  fetchFromGitHub,
+  fetchpatch,
+  cython,
+  cmake,
+  symengine,
+  pytest,
+  sympy,
+  python,
+  setuptools,
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "symengine";
   version = "0.11.0";
-  format = "setuptools";
+
+  build-system = [ setuptools ];
+  pyproject = true;
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "symengine";
@@ -21,26 +26,39 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     hash = "sha256-uUMcNnynE2itIwc7IGFwxveqLRL8f4dAAcaD6FUWJaY=";
   };
 
+  env = {
+    SymEngine_DIR = "${symengine}";
+  };
+
+  patches = [
+    # Distutils has been removed in python 3.12
+    # See https://github.com/symengine/symengine.py/pull/478
+    (fetchpatch {
+      name = "no-distutils.patch";
+      url = "https://github.com/symengine/symengine.py/pull/478/commits/e72006d5f7425cd50c54b22766e0ed4bcd2dca85.patch";
+      hash = "sha256-kGJRGkBgxOfI1wf88JwnSztkOYd1wvg62H7wA6CcYEQ=";
+    })
+  ];
+
   postPatch = ''
     substituteInPlace setup.py \
-      --replace "\"cmake\"" "\"${cmake}/bin/cmake\"" \
-      --replace "'cython>=0.29.24'" "'cython'"
+      --replace-fail "\"cmake\"" "\"${lib.getExe' cmake "cmake"}\"" \
+      --replace-fail "'cython>=0.29.24'" "'cython'"
+
+    export PATH=${cython}/bin:$PATH
   '';
 
   nativeBuildUnputs = [ cmake ];
 
   buildInputs = [ cython ];
 
-  nativeCheckInputs = [ pytest sympy ];
-
-  setupPyBuildFlags = [
-    "--symengine-dir=${symengine}/"
-    "--define=\"CYTHON_BIN=${cython}/bin/cython\""
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytest
+    sympy
   ];
 
   checkPhase = ''
-    mkdir empty
-    cd empty
+    mkdir empty && cd empty
     ${python.interpreter} ../bin/test_python.py
   '';