diff --git a/hbp_nrp_music_interface/setup.py b/hbp_nrp_music_interface/setup.py
index 863ccb582a8f59bb4c4c480007304a65e0b084bb..a06b1e9f1c6910d39a9529cd2f41b1d98c1d1a75 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_music_interface/setup.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_music_interface/setup.py
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 '''setup.py'''
 
-# pylint: disable=F0401,E0611,W0142
-
-try:
-    from setuptools import setup
-except ImportError:
-    from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import setup
 
 import hbp_nrp_music_interface
 import pip
@@ -30,6 +25,16 @@ else:
     )
 reqs = [str(ir.req) for ir in install_reqs]
 
+# ensure we install numpy before the main list of requirements, ignore
+# failures if numpy/cython are not requirements and just proceed (future proof)
+try:
+    cython_req = next(r for r in reqs if r.startswith('cython'))
+    numpy_req = next(r for r in reqs if r.startswith('numpy'))
+    pip.main(['install', '--no-clean', cython_req, numpy_req])
+# pylint: disable=bare-except
+except:
+    pass
+
 config = {
     'description': 'MUSIC interface support for CLE/ExDBackend for HBP SP10',
     'author': 'HBP Neurorobotics',
diff --git a/hbp_nrp_music_xml/setup.py b/hbp_nrp_music_xml/setup.py
index a003be0a6c71b8cefe6c5d5aa8d630963edc2431..fe404518242f997cdc6662cd9890f51bead24530 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_music_xml/setup.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_music_xml/setup.py
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 '''setup.py'''
 
-# pylint: disable=F0401,E0611,W0142
-
-try:
-    from setuptools import setup
-except ImportError:
-    from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools import setup
 
 import hbp_nrp_music_xml
 import pip
@@ -30,6 +25,16 @@ else:
     )
 reqs = [str(ir.req) for ir in install_reqs]
 
+# ensure we install numpy before the main list of requirements, ignore
+# failures if numpy/cython are not requirements and just proceed (future proof)
+try:
+    cython_req = next(r for r in reqs if r.startswith('cython'))
+    numpy_req = next(r for r in reqs if r.startswith('numpy'))
+    pip.main(['install', '--no-clean', cython_req, numpy_req])
+# pylint: disable=bare-except
+except:
+    pass
+
 config = {
     'description': 'MUSIC XML support for pyNN/NEST for HBP SP10',
     'author': 'HBP Neurorobotics',