diff --git a/share/spack/docker/centos-6.dockerfile b/share/spack/docker/centos-6.dockerfile
index fe919f3c885..8c971124a53 100644
--- a/share/spack/docker/centos-6.dockerfile
+++ b/share/spack/docker/centos-6.dockerfile
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ RUN yum update -y \
         patch \
         python \
         python-pip \
+        python-setuptools \
         tcl \
         unzip \
         which \
diff --git a/share/spack/docker/centos-7.dockerfile b/share/spack/docker/centos-7.dockerfile
index 67affa1af9f..292663d9222 100644
--- a/share/spack/docker/centos-7.dockerfile
+++ b/share/spack/docker/centos-7.dockerfile
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ RUN yum update -y \
         patch \
         python \
         python-pip \
+        python-setuptools \
         tcl \
         unzip \
         which \
diff --git a/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1604.dockerfile b/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1604.dockerfile
index 7891c5a2614..1f7db8bea9c 100644
--- a/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1604.dockerfile
+++ b/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1604.dockerfile
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ RUN apt-get -yqq update \
         make \
         python3 \
         python3-pip \
+        python3-setuptools \
         tcl \
         unzip \
  && locale-gen en_US.UTF-8 \
diff --git a/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1804.dockerfile b/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1804.dockerfile
index c0793314760..a8d9577b664 100644
--- a/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1804.dockerfile
+++ b/share/spack/docker/ubuntu-1804.dockerfile
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ RUN apt-get -yqq update \
         make \
         python3 \
         python3-pip \
+        python3-setuptools \
         tcl \
         unzip \
  && locale-gen en_US.UTF-8 \