diff --git a/.github/workflows/pip_install.yml b/.github/workflows/pip_install.yml
index 9a40b133..abc929bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pip_install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pip_install.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ jobs:
               # system installed setuptools version in RHEL8 and CO7
               python -m pip install --user setuptools==39.2.0
             fi
+            echo "Setuptools version:"
+            python -c "import setuptools; print(setuptools.__version__)"
 
         - name: Install ReFrame
           run: |
diff --git a/eessi/__init__.py b/eessi/__init__.py
index 5284146e..e69de29b 100644
--- a/eessi/__init__.py
+++ b/eessi/__init__.py
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-__import__("pkg_resources").declare_namespace(__name__)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index aff5ab6e..f3251c2f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ def get_version_by_import():
 scm_dict['fallback_version'] = get_version_by_import()
 
 setuptools.setup(
+    packages=setuptools.find_namespace_packages(include="eessi*"),
     use_scm_version=scm_dict,
     setup_requires=[setuptools_scm_requirement],
 )