diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/default.nix
index 0f3c3cc9209e..d80f4c8ab318 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/default.nix
@@ -33,24 +33,53 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "sha256-YjvHzd4iEBvg+qHOVJ7/y9HqyeT+QDalNE/jdNM9BNs=";
   };
 
-  patches = [
-    # ensure python site-packages goes in $py output
-    ./python-binding-prefix.patch
-
-    (fetchpatch {
-      name = "musl.patch";
-      url = "https://github.com/libpwquality/libpwquality/commit/b0fcd96954be89e8c318e5328dd27c40b401de96.patch";
-      hash = "sha256-ykN1hcRKyX3QAqWTH54kUjOxN6+IwRpqQVsujTd9XWs=";
-    })
-  ];
+  patches =
+    lib.optionals (!enablePython) [
+      # this patch isn't useful but keeping it to avoid rebuilds on !enablePython
+      # before 24.11 fully lands
+      ./python-binding-prefix.patch
+    ]
+    ++ [
+      # remove next release
+      (fetchpatch {
+        name = "musl.patch";
+        url = "https://github.com/libpwquality/libpwquality/commit/b0fcd96954be89e8c318e5328dd27c40b401de96.patch";
+        hash = "sha256-ykN1hcRKyX3QAqWTH54kUjOxN6+IwRpqQVsujTd9XWs=";
+      })
+    ]
+    ++ lib.optionals enablePython [
+      # remove next release
+      (fetchpatch {
+        name = "pr-74-use-setuptools-instead-of-distutils.patch";
+        url = "https://github.com/libpwquality/libpwquality/commit/509b0a744adf533b524daaa65f25dda144a6ff40.patch";
+        hash = "sha256-AxiynPVxv/gONujyj8y6b1XlsNkKszzW5TT9oINR/oo=";
+      })
+      # remove next release
+      (fetchpatch {
+        name = "pr-80-respect-pythonsitedir.patch";
+        url = "https://github.com/libpwquality/libpwquality/commit/f92351b3998542e33d2b243fc446a4dd852dc972.patch";
+        hash = "sha256-1lmigZX/UiEFe9b0JXmlfw/371UYT4PF7Ev2Hv66v74=";
+      })
+      # ensure python site-packages goes in $py output
+      ./python-binding-root.patch
+    ];
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     autoreconfHook
     perl
-  ] ++ lib.optionals enablePython [ (python.withPackages (ps: with ps; [ distutils ])) ];
+  ] ++ lib.optionals enablePython [ (python.withPackages (ps: with ps; [ setuptools ])) ];
   buildInputs = [ cracklib ] ++ lib.optionals enablePAM [ pam ];
 
-  configureFlags = lib.optionals (!enablePython) [ "--disable-python-bindings" ];
+  configureFlags =
+    if enablePython then
+      [
+        "--enable-python-bindings=yes"
+        "--with-pythonsitedir=\"${python.sitePackages}\""
+      ]
+    else
+      # change to `--enable-python-bindings=no` in the future
+      # leave for now to avoid rebuilds on !enablePython before 24.11 fully lands
+      [ "--disable-python-bindings" ];
 
   meta = with lib; {
     homepage = "https://github.com/libpwquality/libpwquality";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/python-binding-root.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/python-binding-root.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9c789bf2d07d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libpwquality/python-binding-root.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/python/Makefile.am b/python/Makefile.am
+index 64d3892..365dc8e 100644
+--- a/python/Makefile.am
++++ b/python/Makefile.am
+@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ all-local:
+ 	CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -fno-strict-aliasing" @PYTHONBINARY@ setup.py build --build-base py$(PYTHONREV)
+ 
+ install-exec-local:
+-	CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -fno-strict-aliasing" @PYTHONBINARY@ setup.py build --build-base py$(PYTHONREV) install --root ${DESTDIR} --prefix=${prefix} --install-lib=$(pythonsitedir)
++	CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -fno-strict-aliasing" @PYTHONBINARY@ setup.py build --build-base py$(PYTHONREV) install --root ${py} --install-lib=$(pythonsitedir)
+ 
+ clean-local:
+ 	rm -rf py$(PYTHONREV)