diff --git a/packages/py-bluepyopt/package.py b/packages/py-bluepyopt/package.py
index 7c2b821b9c0da8a7a897eeb435a7e8a02b88a38a..b42aa7ae008f6ca4abdfafa109316da69bfc72df 100644
--- a/packages/py-bluepyopt/package.py
+++ b/packages/py-bluepyopt/package.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class PyBluepyopt(PythonPackage):
 
     variant('neuron', default=True, description="Use BluePyOpt together with NEURON")
 
-    depends_on('py-setuptools', type='build')
+    depends_on("py-setuptools@:57", type="build") #TODO: remove version constraint after update to spack v0.19 (this is actually a py-deap dependency)
     depends_on('py-pandas', type='run')
     depends_on('py-numpy', type='run')
     depends_on('py-efel', type='run')