--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/virutalenv.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/virtualenv.py
@@ -587,18 +587,11 @@
         """
 
-        # Defer "distutils" import until this function is called so that
-        # "mach bootstrap" doesn't fail due to Linux distro python-distutils
-        # package not being installed.
-        # By the time this function is called, "distutils" must be installed
-        # because it's needed by the "virtualenv" package.
-        from distutils import dist
+        import sysconfig
 
-        distribution = dist.Distribution({"script_args": "--no-user-cfg"})
-        installer = distribution.get_command_obj("install")
-        installer.prefix = os.path.normpath(self.virtualenv_root)
-        installer.finalize_options()
-
         # Path to virtualenv's "site-packages" directory
-        site_packages = installer.install_purelib
+        site_packages = sysconfig.get_path(
+            'purelib',
+             scheme='posix_prefix',
+             vars={ 'base': os.path.normpath(self.virtualenv_root) })
 
         pip_dist_info = next(