diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/generic/default.nix
index 50653d1abc4..6eaa67562d2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/generic/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/generic/default.nix
@@ -28,15 +28,19 @@
       # install the current package with easy_install.pth including dependencies
       python setup.py install --prefix="$out"
 
-      # remove console_scripts again, because they were created for deps, too
-      rm -Rf "$out"/bin
+      # plain distutils knows no dependencies
+      eapth="$out"/lib/${python.libPrefix}/site-packages/easy-install.pth
+      if [ -e "$eapth" ]; then
+          # remove console_scripts again, because they were created for deps, too
+          rm -Rf "$out"/bin
 
-      # run easy_install to generate scripts for the current package,
-      # it won't reinstall
-      easy_install --prefix="$out" .
+          # run easy_install to generate scripts for the current package,
+          # it won't reinstall
+          easy_install --prefix="$out" .
 
-      # move colliding easy_install.pth to specifically named one
-      mv "$out/lib/${python.libPrefix}/site-packages/"{easy-install.pth,${name}.pth}
+          # move colliding easy_install.pth to specifically named one
+          mv "$eapth" $(dirname "$eapth")/${name}.pth
+      fi
 
       # These cause collisions and our output is not a site anyway
       # If you need a site, install python-site