diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 0398473d5e053a..9e0338f49638ce 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
 import warnings
 
 from collections import defaultdict
-from distutils.command.build_scripts import build_scripts as BuildScripts
-from distutils.command.sdist import sdist as SDist
 
 try:
     from setuptools import setup, find_packages
@@ -23,6 +21,15 @@
           " install setuptools).", file=sys.stderr)
     sys.exit(1)
 
+# `distutils` must be imported after `setuptools` or it will cause explosions
+# with `setuptools >=48.0.0, <49.1`.
+# Refs:
+# * https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/70456
+# * https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/2230
+# * https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/commit/bd110264
+from distutils.command.build_scripts import build_scripts as BuildScripts
+from distutils.command.sdist import sdist as SDist
+
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('lib'))
 from ansible.release import __version__, __author__