diff --git a/google/__init__.py b/google/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a5ba80656..000000000
--- a/google/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    import pkg_resources
-
-    pkg_resources.declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass
diff --git a/google/cloud/__init__.py b/google/cloud/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a5ba80656..000000000
--- a/google/cloud/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    import pkg_resources
-
-    pkg_resources.declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass
diff --git a/mypy.ini b/mypy.ini
index f12ed46fc..31cc24223 100644
--- a/mypy.ini
+++ b/mypy.ini
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [mypy]
-python_version = 3.6
+python_version = 3.8
 namespace_packages = True
 exclude = tests/unit/gapic/
 
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index fafee6ac4..63a169cbb 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def mypy(session):
     )
     session.install("google-cloud-testutils")
     # TODO: also verify types on tests, all of google package
-    session.run("mypy", "google/", "tests/")
+    session.run("mypy", "-p", "google", "-p", "tests")
 
 
 @nox.session(python=DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION)
diff --git a/owlbot.py b/owlbot.py
index 78c6ca2f8..4b06aea77 100644
--- a/owlbot.py
+++ b/owlbot.py
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def mypy(session):
     session.install("mypy", "types-setuptools", "types-protobuf", "types-mock", "types-requests")
     session.install("google-cloud-testutils")
     # TODO: also verify types on tests, all of google package
-    session.run("mypy", "google/", "tests/")
+    session.run("mypy", "-p", "google", "-p", "tests")
 
 
 @nox.session(python=DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 495730888..617ec77dd 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -59,16 +59,10 @@
 # benchmarks, etc.
 packages = [
     package
-    for package in setuptools.PEP420PackageFinder.find()
+    for package in setuptools.find_namespace_packages()
     if package.startswith("google")
 ]
 
-# Determine which namespaces are needed.
-namespaces = ["google"]
-if "google.cloud" in packages:
-    namespaces.append("google.cloud")
-
-
 setuptools.setup(
     name=name,
     version=version,
@@ -93,7 +87,6 @@
     ],
     platforms="Posix; MacOS X; Windows",
     packages=packages,
-    namespace_packages=namespaces,
     install_requires=dependencies,
     extras_require=extras,
     scripts=[
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_packaging.py b/tests/unit/test_packaging.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93fa4d1c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_packaging.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# Copyright 2023 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+
+def test_namespace_package_compat(tmp_path):
+    # The ``google`` namespace package should not be masked
+    # by the presence of ``google-cloud-bigtable``.
+    google = tmp_path / "google"
+    google.mkdir()
+    google.joinpath("othermod.py").write_text("")
+    env = dict(os.environ, PYTHONPATH=str(tmp_path))
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "google.othermod"]
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd, env=env)
+
+    # The ``google.cloud`` namespace package should not be masked
+    # by the presence of ``google-cloud-bigtable``.
+    google_cloud = tmp_path / "google" / "cloud"
+    google_cloud.mkdir()
+    google_cloud.joinpath("othermod.py").write_text("")
+    env = dict(os.environ, PYTHONPATH=str(tmp_path))
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "google.cloud.othermod"]
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd, env=env)