diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/science/chemistry/tblite/python.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/science/chemistry/tblite/python.nix
index 3a72cfaaa6a3..cfe8668204e2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/science/chemistry/tblite/python.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/science/chemistry/tblite/python.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-{ buildPythonPackage
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, pythonAtLeast
 , fetchpatch
 , meson
 , ninja
@@ -15,6 +17,7 @@
 , toml-f
 , multicharge
 , dftd4
+, setuptools
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage {
@@ -27,6 +30,8 @@ buildPythonPackage {
     pkg-config
     gfortran
     mctc-lib
+  ] ++ lib.optionals (pythonAtLeast "3.12") [
+    setuptools
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [