diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2fb0f1ca..fc1bda88 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 """
 
 no_wheel_message = """
-You need to have wheel installed to pip_install snappy, e.g.,
+You need to have wheel installed to install snappy, e.g.,
 
   sudo python -m pip install "wheel"
 
@@ -51,10 +51,15 @@
 except ImportError:
     raise ImportError(no_setuptools_message)
 
+try:
+    import wheel
+except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError(no_wheel_message)
+
 import os, platform, shutil, site, subprocess, sys, sysconfig, re
 from os.path import getmtime, exists
-from distutils.ccompiler import get_default_compiler
 from glob import glob
+import importlib.metadata
 
 if sys.platform == 'darwin':
     # On macOS, the C and C++ code generated by Cython produces lots of these.
@@ -76,7 +81,6 @@
 
 from setuptools.extension import Extension
 from setuptools import setup, Command
-from pkg_resources import load_entry_point
 
 # A real clean
 
@@ -124,7 +128,8 @@ def run(self):
             import sphinx_rtd_theme
         except ImportError:
             raise ImportError(no_sphinx_theme_message)
-        sphinx_cmd = load_entry_point('sphinx>=1.7', 'console_scripts', 'sphinx-build')
+        sphinx_dist = importlib.metadata.Distribution.from_name('sphinx')
+        sphinx_cmd = sphinx_dist.entry_points['sphinx-build'].load()
         sphinx_args = ['-a', '-E', '-d', 'doc_src/_build/doctrees',
                        'doc_src', 'python/doc']
         sys.path.insert(0, build_lib_dir())
@@ -367,12 +372,13 @@ def add(self, source_file, dependency_mod_time=0.0):
 for hp_file in hp_qd_code:
     hp_snappy_ext_files.add(hp_file)
 
-# The compiler we will be using
+# For Windows, check the compiler we will be using.
 
-cc = get_default_compiler()
-for arg in sys.argv:
-    if arg.startswith('--compiler='):
-        cc = arg.split('=')[1]
+if sys.platform == 'win32':
+    cc = 'msvc'
+    for arg in sys.argv:
+        if arg.startswith('--compiler='):
+            cc = arg.split('=')[1]
 
 # The SnapPy extension
 snappy_extra_compile_args = []