diff --git a/code/_install-deb.sh b/code/_install-deb.sh
index 4f6e85411..9e3fd65cf 100644
--- a/code/_install-deb.sh
+++ b/code/_install-deb.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/python3.*/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED
 
 curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py | $(type -p $PY_BINARY)
 $PY_BINARY -m pip install -U virtualenv==20.8.1 --break-system-packages
-$PY_BINARY -m pip install -U setuptools
 
 echo Installing virtualenv in $CURDIR
 DEB_PYTHON_INSTALL_LAYOUT='deb' $PY_BINARY -m virtualenv $CURDIR
@@ -51,6 +50,7 @@ echo Activating virtualenv in $CURDIR
 source $CURDIR/bin/activate
 
 echo Setting up environment in $CURDIR
+PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK=1 $CURDIR/bin/pip install -U setuptools
 PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK=1 $CURDIR/bin/python $CURDIR/util/zato_environment.py install
 
 echo ⭐ Successfully installed `zato --version`