diff --git a/python-pip.spec b/python-pip.spec
index 06d7c0e..b575a09 100644
--- a/python-pip.spec
+++ b/python-pip.spec
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 Name:           python-%{srcname}
 Version:        %{base_version}%{?prerel:~%{prerel}}
-Release:        1%{?dist}
+Release:        2%{?dist}
 Summary:        A tool for installing and managing Python packages
 
 # We bundle a lot of libraries with pip, which itself is under MIT license.
@@ -171,14 +171,6 @@ BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-wheel
 BuildRequires:  ca-certificates
 Requires:       ca-certificates
 
-# This was previously required and we keep it recommended because a lot of
-# sdists installed via pip will try to import setuptools.
-# But pip doesn't actually require setuptools.
-# It can install wheels without them and it can build wheels in isolation mode
-# (using setuptools/flit/poetry/... installed from PyPI).
-# Side note: pip bundles pkg_resources from setuptools for internal usage.
-Recommends:     python%{python3_pkgversion}-setuptools
-
 # Virtual provides for the packages bundled by pip:
 %{bundled 3}
 
@@ -371,6 +363,9 @@ pytest_k='not completion'
 %{python_wheel_dir}/%{python_wheel_name}
 
 %changelog
+* Wed Jan 03 2024 Maxwell G <maxwell@gtmx.me> - 23.3.1-2
+- Remove weak dependency on python3-setuptools
+
 * Thu Nov 16 2023 Petr Viktorin <pviktori@redhat.com> - 23.3.1-1
 - Update to 23.3.1
 Resolves: rhbz#2244306