diff --git a/changelog.d/3482.misc.rst b/changelog.d/3482.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..10bab94e58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/3482.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Sync with pypa/distutils@274758f1c02048d295efdbc13d2f88d9923547f8, restoring compatibility shim in bdist.format_commands.
diff --git a/setuptools/_distutils/command/bdist.py b/setuptools/_distutils/command/bdist.py
index 4af1b8e668..c9fdbf131c 100644
--- a/setuptools/_distutils/command/bdist.py
+++ b/setuptools/_distutils/command/bdist.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 distribution)."""
 
 import os
+import warnings
+
 from distutils.core import Command
 from distutils.errors import DistutilsPlatformError, DistutilsOptionError
 from distutils.util import get_platform
@@ -20,6 +22,16 @@ def show_formats():
     pretty_printer.print_help("List of available distribution formats:")
 
 
+class ListCompat(dict):
+    # adapter to allow for Setuptools compatibility in format_commands
+    def append(self, item):
+        warnings.warn(
+            """format_commands is now a dict. append is deprecated.""",
+            DeprecationWarning,
+            stacklevel=2,
+        )
+
+
 class bdist(Command):
 
     description = "create a built (binary) distribution"
@@ -65,18 +77,23 @@ class bdist(Command):
     default_format = {'posix': 'gztar', 'nt': 'zip'}
 
     # Define commands in preferred order for the --help-formats option
-    format_commands = dict(
-        rpm=('bdist_rpm', "RPM distribution"),
-        gztar=('bdist_dumb', "gzip'ed tar file"),
-        bztar=('bdist_dumb', "bzip2'ed tar file"),
-        xztar=('bdist_dumb', "xz'ed tar file"),
-        ztar=('bdist_dumb', "compressed tar file"),
-        tar=('bdist_dumb', "tar file"),
-        wininst=('bdist_wininst', "Windows executable installer"),
-        zip=('bdist_dumb', "ZIP file"),
-        msi=('bdist_msi', "Microsoft Installer"),
+    format_commands = ListCompat(
+        {
+            'rpm': ('bdist_rpm', "RPM distribution"),
+            'gztar': ('bdist_dumb', "gzip'ed tar file"),
+            'bztar': ('bdist_dumb', "bzip2'ed tar file"),
+            'xztar': ('bdist_dumb', "xz'ed tar file"),
+            'ztar': ('bdist_dumb', "compressed tar file"),
+            'tar': ('bdist_dumb', "tar file"),
+            'wininst': ('bdist_wininst', "Windows executable installer"),
+            'zip': ('bdist_dumb', "ZIP file"),
+            'msi': ('bdist_msi', "Microsoft Installer"),
+        }
     )
 
+    # for compatibility until consumers only reference format_commands
+    format_command = format_commands
+
     def initialize_options(self):
         self.bdist_base = None
         self.plat_name = None