diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-kombu/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-kombu/package.py
index 9c732796cf..23fc35f315 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-kombu/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-kombu/package.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class PyKombu(PythonPackage):
 
     variant("redis", default=False, description="Use redis transport")
 
-    depends_on("py-setuptools", type="build")
+    depends_on("py-setuptools@:55", type="build")
     depends_on("py-amqp@2.5.2:2.5", when="@:4.6.6", type=("build", "run"))
     depends_on("py-amqp@2.6.0:2.6", when="@4.6.7:4", type=("build", "run"))
     depends_on("py-amqp@5.0.0:5", when="@5.0.0:5.0.2", type=("build", "run"))