diff --git a/gazebo_plugins/package.xml b/gazebo_plugins/package.xml
index b0b393cad..7cdb7406e 100644
--- a/gazebo_plugins/package.xml
+++ b/gazebo_plugins/package.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<package format="2">
+<package format="3">
   <name>gazebo_plugins</name>
   <version>2.9.2</version>
   <description>
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
   <author>John Hsu</author>
 
   <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
-
+  <buildtool_depend condition="$ROS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2">python-setuptools</buildtool_depend>
+  <buildtool_depend condition="$ROS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3">python3-setuptools</buildtool_depend>
   <build_depend>gazebo_dev</build_depend>
   <!--
     Need to use gazebo_dev since run script needs pkg-config
diff --git a/gazebo_plugins/setup.py b/gazebo_plugins/setup.py
index 2bb982c7c..1dc23a6a6 100644
--- a/gazebo_plugins/setup.py
+++ b/gazebo_plugins/setup.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import setup
 from catkin_pkg.python_setup import generate_distutils_setup
 
 d = generate_distutils_setup()
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/package.xml b/gazebo_ros/package.xml
index fc738372a..929e83c70 100644
--- a/gazebo_ros/package.xml
+++ b/gazebo_ros/package.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<package format="2">
+<package format="3">
   <name>gazebo_ros</name>
   <version>2.9.2</version>
   <description>
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
   <author>Dave Coleman</author>
 
   <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
+  <buildtool_depend condition="$ROS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2">python-setuptools</buildtool_depend>
+  <buildtool_depend condition="$ROS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3">python3-setuptools</buildtool_depend>
 
   <build_depend>cmake_modules</build_depend>
   <build_depend>gazebo_dev</build_depend>
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/setup.py b/gazebo_ros/setup.py
index b437c4346..ea9c74554 100644
--- a/gazebo_ros/setup.py
+++ b/gazebo_ros/setup.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import setup
 from catkin_pkg.python_setup import generate_distutils_setup
 
 d = generate_distutils_setup()