diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/fs/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/fs/default.nix
index 32b5dd747dda..1d4326f74ee3 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/fs/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/fs/default.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 , glibcLocales
 , buildPythonPackage
 , fetchPypi
+, setuptools
 , six
 , appdirs
 , scandir ? null
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   # strong cycle with paramaterized
   doCheck = false;
   checkInputs = [ pyftpdlib mock psutil pytestCheckHook ];
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ six appdirs pytz ]
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ six appdirs pytz setuptools ]
     ++ lib.optionals (!isPy3k) [ backports_os ]
     ++ lib.optionals (!pythonAtLeast "3.6") [ typing ]
     ++ lib.optionals (!pythonAtLeast "3.5") [ scandir ]
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyatspi/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyatspi/default.nix
index f839dc4df312..d32a4a1ca3a1 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyatspi/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyatspi/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ lib, fetchurl, pkg-config, buildPythonPackage, isPy3k, at-spi2-core, pygobject3, gnome }:
+{ lib, fetchurl, pkg-config, buildPythonPackage, isPy3k, at-spi2-core, pygobject3, gnome, python }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "pyatspi";
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     pygobject3
   ];
 
+  configureFlags = [
+    "PYTHON=${python.pythonForBuild.interpreter}"
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    # useless python existence check for us
+    substituteInPlace configure \
+      --replace '&& ! which' '&& false'
+  '';
+
   disabled = !isPy3k;
 
   passthru = {