diff --git a/setup/build.py b/setup/build.py
index 08563865c4..fc63ee8962 100644
--- a/setup/build.py
+++ b/setup/build.py
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ class Build(Command):
 
         If something is missing (qmake e.g.) you get a non-informative error
          self.check_call(qmc + [ext.name+'.pro'])
-         so you would have to look a the source to see the actual command.
+         so you would have to look at the source to see the actual command.
         """
         try:
             subprocess.check_call(*args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/setup/build_environment.py b/setup/build_environment.py
index be7283d80d..742ed5daef 100644
--- a/setup/build_environment.py
+++ b/setup/build_environment.py
@@ -7,25 +7,37 @@ __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import os, subprocess, re, shutil
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
 
 from setup import ismacos, iswindows, is64bit, islinux, ishaiku
 
 NMAKE = RC = msvc = MT = win_inc = win_lib = win_cc = win_ld = None
+
+
+def merge_paths(a, b):
+    a = [os.path.normcase(os.path.normpath(x)) for x in a.split(os.pathsep)]
+    for q in b.split(os.pathsep):
+        q = os.path.normcase(os.path.normpath(q))
+        if q not in a:
+            a.append(q)
+    return os.pathsep.join(a)
+
+
 if iswindows:
     from setup.vcvars import query_vcvarsall
     env = query_vcvarsall(is64bit)
-    NMAKE = shutil.which('nmake.exe', path=env['PATH'])
-    RC = shutil.which('rc.exe', path=env['PATH'])
-    MT = shutil.which('mt.exe', path=env['PATH'])
-    win_cc = shutil.which('cl.exe', path=env['PATH'])
-    win_ld = shutil.which('link.exe', path=env['PATH'])
+    win_path = env['PATH']
+    os.environ['PATH'] = merge_paths(env['PATH'], os.environ['PATH'])
+    NMAKE = 'nmake.exe'
+    RC = 'rc.exe'
+    MT = 'mt.exe'
+    win_cc = 'cl.exe'
+    win_ld = 'link.exe'
     win_inc = [x for x in env['INCLUDE'].split(';') if x]
     win_lib = [x for x in env['LIB'].split(';') if x]
 
 QMAKE = 'qmake'
 for x in ('qmake-qt5', 'qt5-qmake', 'qmake'):
-    q = find_executable(x)
+    q = shutil.which(x)
     if q:
         QMAKE = q
         break
@@ -33,7 +45,7 @@ QMAKE = os.environ.get('QMAKE', QMAKE)
 if iswindows and not QMAKE.lower().endswith('.exe'):
     QMAKE += '.exe'
 
-PKGCONFIG = find_executable('pkg-config')
+PKGCONFIG = shutil.which('pkg-config')
 PKGCONFIG = os.environ.get('PKG_CONFIG', PKGCONFIG)
 if (islinux or ishaiku) and not PKGCONFIG:
     raise SystemExit('Failed to find pkg-config on your system. You can use the environment variable PKG_CONFIG to point to the pkg-config executable')