diff --git a/setup/git_post_checkout_hook.py b/setup/git_post_checkout_hook.py
index 393c7b25b2..9dd20112b4 100755
--- a/setup/git_post_checkout_hook.py
+++ b/setup/git_post_checkout_hook.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2013, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 import os
+import runpy
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -21,7 +22,12 @@ if flags == '1':  # A branch checkout
     prev_branch, cur_branch = list(map(get_branch_name, (prev_rev, current_rev)))
     rebase_in_progress = os.path.exists('.git/rebase-apply') or os.path.exists('.git/rebase-merge')
 
-    subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, './setup.py', 'gui', '--summary'])
+    before = sys.argv
+    try:
+        sys.argv = ['setup.py', 'gui', '--summary']
+        runpy.run_path('setup.py', run_name='__main__')
+    finally:
+        sys.argv = before
 
     # Remove .pyc files as some of them might have been orphaned
     for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk('.'):
diff --git a/setup/git_post_rewrite_hook.py b/setup/git_post_rewrite_hook.py
index becfbf8c13..d538b24b63 100755
--- a/setup/git_post_rewrite_hook.py
+++ b/setup/git_post_rewrite_hook.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 import os
-import subprocess
+import runpy
 import sys
 
 base = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)))
@@ -13,4 +13,9 @@ os.chdir(base)
 action = [x.decode('utf-8') if isinstance(x, bytes) else x for x in sys.argv[1:]][0]
 
 if action == 'rebase':
-    subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, './setup.py', 'gui', '--summary'])
+    before = sys.argv
+    try:
+        sys.argv = ['setup.py', 'gui', '--summary']
+        runpy.run_path('setup.py', run_name='__main__')
+    finally:
+        sys.argv = before
diff --git a/setup/git_pre_commit_hook.py b/setup/git_pre_commit_hook.py
index f22fa2eba4..3b957773b8 100644
--- a/setup/git_pre_commit_hook.py
+++ b/setup/git_pre_commit_hook.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import os
+import runpy
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -37,11 +38,15 @@ filenames = tuple(filter(testfile, output))
 if not filenames:
     sys.exit(0)
 
-check_args = [sys.executable, './setup.py', 'check', '--no-editor']
+check_args = ['./setup.py', 'check', '--no-editor']
 # let's hope that too many arguments do not hold any surprises
 for f in filenames:
     check_args.append('-f')
     check_args.append(f)
 
-returncode = subprocess.call(check_args)
-sys.exit(returncode)
+before = sys.argv
+try:
+    sys.argv = check_args
+    runpy.run_path('setup.py', run_name='__main__')
+finally:
+    sys.argv = before