diff --git a/packages/py-neo/package.py b/packages/py-neo/package.py
index 75c4d780f41bb22ddb17062c048176c9ddab0bfc..b41b05768791a4a27d9398cd75dfd5a398a48216 100644
--- a/packages/py-neo/package.py
+++ b/packages/py-neo/package.py
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ class PyNeo(PythonPackage):
     homepage = "https://neuralensemble.org/neo"
     pypi = "neo/neo-0.4.1.tar.gz"
 
-    version('0.12.0', sha256='3b6ca4fc05dfdb4e953e253e70994bfbbc8fe2e90958fbda7fa5860caf3fa63a')
+    # temporary fix to avoid building with py-setuptools@:61, that doesn't support PEP 621
+    version('0.12.0', sha256='758f1938b6e3d1a21e465265e6859dc925cc1f0a4a347658cd4bc6293b99545d',
+            url='https://pypi.io/packages/py3/n/neo/neo-0.12.0-py3-none-any.whl', expand=False)
+    # version('0.12.0', sha256='3b6ca4fc05dfdb4e953e253e70994bfbbc8fe2e90958fbda7fa5860caf3fa63a')
     version('0.11.1', sha256='f4a206044b332ad00b10072b0dc7a70b359fa365ec786f92ab757ef4ae588474')
     version('0.11.0', sha256='cdf8e1324a3fbbd1efd5618dcd37cfc497b1997923bd710b598472c1d846674a')
     version('0.10.2', sha256='2d4218b0826daeea880e155227060029ec38a00238ceb5f097138d9467c6399b')