diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/core.py b/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/core.py
index 1b8c4d5f18..e5e0983c24 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/core.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/core.py
@@ -270,10 +270,6 @@ def try_import(self, module: str, abstract_spec_str: str) -> bool:
         with spack_python_interpreter():
             # Add hint to use frontend operating system on Cray
             concrete_spec = spack.spec.Spec(abstract_spec_str + " ^" + spec_for_current_python())
-            # This is needed to help the old concretizer taking the `setuptools` dependency
-            # only when bootstrapping from sources on Python 3.12
-            if spec_for_current_python() == "python@3.12":
-                concrete_spec.constrain("+force_setuptools")
 
             if module == "clingo":
                 # TODO: remove when the old concretizer is deprecated  # pylint: disable=fixme
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo-bootstrap/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo-bootstrap/package.py
index a11ff0a048..022cb7e6e3 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo-bootstrap/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo-bootstrap/package.py
@@ -32,13 +32,6 @@ class ClingoBootstrap(Clingo):
         description="Enable a series of Spack-specific optimizations (PGO, LTO, mimalloc)",
     )
 
-    variant(
-        "force_setuptools",
-        default=False,
-        description="Force a dependency on setuptools to help the old concretizer",
-    )
-    depends_on("py-setuptools", type="build", when="+force_setuptools")
-
     # Enable LTO
     conflicts("~ipo", when="+optimized")
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
index 8ef318b81d..fe1a6f859f 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ class Clingo(CMakePackage):
     # See https://github.com/potassco/clingo/blob/v5.5.2/INSTALL.md
     depends_on("cmake@3.1:", type="build")
     depends_on("cmake@3.18:", type="build", when="@5.5:")
-    depends_on("py-setuptools", when="@5.6.2:", type="build")
 
     depends_on("doxygen", type="build", when="+docs")
 
@@ -77,12 +76,6 @@ class Clingo(CMakePackage):
     patch("vs2022.patch", when="%msvc@19.30:")
     patch("clingo_msc_1938_native_handle.patch", when="@:5.7.0 %msvc@19.38:")
 
-    # TODO: Simplify this after Spack 0.21 release. The old concretizer has problems with
-    # py-setuptools ^python@3.6, so we only apply the distutils -> setuptools patch for Python 3.12
-    with when("@:5.6.1 ^python@3.12:"):
-        patch("setuptools-2.patch")
-        depends_on("py-setuptools", type="build")
-
     def patch(self):
         # Doxygen is optional but can't be disabled with a -D, so patch
         # it out if it's really supposed to be disabled
@@ -104,23 +97,28 @@ def cmake_args(self):
         except UnsupportedCompilerFlag:
             InstallError("clingo requires a C++14-compliant C++ compiler")
 
-        args = ["-DCLINGO_BUILD_WITH_LUA=OFF"]
+        args = [self.define("CLINGO_BUILD_WITH_LUA", False)]
 
         if "+python" in self.spec:
+            suffix = python(
+                "-c", "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'))", output=str
+            ).strip()
             args += [
-                "-DCLINGO_REQUIRE_PYTHON=ON",
-                "-DCLINGO_BUILD_WITH_PYTHON=ON",
-                "-DPYCLINGO_USER_INSTALL=OFF",
-                "-DPYCLINGO_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX=ON",
+                self.define("CLINGO_REQUIRE_PYTHON", True),
+                self.define("CLINGO_BUILD_WITH_PYTHON", True),
+                self.define("PYCLINGO_USER_INSTALL", False),
+                self.define("PYCLINGO_USE_INSTALL_PREFIX", True),
+                self.define("PYCLINGO_INSTALL_DIR", python_platlib),
+                self.define("PYCLINGO_SUFFIX", suffix),
                 self.cmake_py_shared,
             ]
         else:
-            args += ["-DCLINGO_BUILD_WITH_PYTHON=OFF"]
+            args += [self.define("CLINGO_BUILD_WITH_PYTHON", False)]
 
         # Use LTO also for non-Intel compilers please. This can be removed when they
         # bump cmake_minimum_required to VERSION 3.9.
         if "+ipo" in self.spec:
-            args.append("-DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0069=NEW")
+            args.append(self.define("CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0069", "NEW"))
 
         return args
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/setuptools-2.patch b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/setuptools-2.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c6377936f..0000000000
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/setuptools-2.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/cmake/python-site.py b/cmake/python-site.py
---- a/cmake/python-site.py
-+++ b/cmake/python-site.py
-@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
-+import setuptools  # makes import distutils work
- from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib, get_config_vars
- import sys
- if sys.argv[1] == "prefix":
\ No newline at end of file