diff --git a/macros.python b/macros.python
index 04c47c5..39b4120 100644
--- a/macros.python
+++ b/macros.python
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 # unversioned macros: used with user defined __python, no longer part of rpm >= 4.15
 # __python is defined to error by default in the srpm macros
-%python_sitelib %(%{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('purelib'))")
-%python_sitearch %(%{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))")
-%python_version %(%{__python} -Esc "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}.{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
-%python_version_nodots %(%{__python} -Esc "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
-%python_platform %(%{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_platform())")
-%python_platform_triplet %(%{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('MULTIARCH'))")
-%python_ext_suffix %(%{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'))")
+# nb: $RPM_BUILD_ROOT is not set when the macros are expanded (at spec parse time)
+#     so we set it manually (to empty string), making our Python prefer the correct install scheme location
+%python_sitelib %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('purelib'))")
+%python_sitearch %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))")
+%python_version %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}.{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
+%python_version_nodots %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
+%python_platform %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_platform())")
+%python_platform_triplet %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('MULTIARCH'))")
+%python_ext_suffix %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python} -Esc "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'))")
 
 %py_setup setup.py
 %py_shbang_opts -s
diff --git a/macros.python3 b/macros.python3
index 93b4199..7db969e 100644
--- a/macros.python3
+++ b/macros.python3
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-%python3_sitelib %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('purelib'))")
-%python3_sitearch %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))")
-%python3_version %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}.{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
-%python3_version_nodots %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
-%python3_platform %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_platform())")
-%python3_platform_triplet %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('MULTIARCH'))")
-%python3_ext_suffix %(%{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'))")
+# nb: $RPM_BUILD_ROOT is not set when the macros are expanded (at spec parse time)
+#     so we set it manually (to empty string), making our Python prefer the correct install scheme location
+%python3_sitelib %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('purelib'))")
+%python3_sitearch %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))")
+%python3_version %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}.{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
+%python3_version_nodots %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sys; sys.stdout.write('{0.major}{0.minor}'.format(sys.version_info))")
+%python3_platform %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_platform())")
+%python3_platform_triplet %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('MULTIARCH'))")
+%python3_ext_suffix %(RPM_BUILD_ROOT= %{__python3} -Ic "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'))")
 %py3dir %{_builddir}/python3-%{name}-%{version}-%{release}
 
 %py3_shbang_opts -s
diff --git a/python-rpm-macros.spec b/python-rpm-macros.spec
index 4290cf0..703a636 100644
--- a/python-rpm-macros.spec
+++ b/python-rpm-macros.spec
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Name:           python-rpm-macros
 Version:        3.9
-Release:        43%{?dist}
+Release:        44%{?dist}
 Summary:        The common Python RPM macros
 URL:            https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/python-rpm-macros/
 
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ install -m 644 compileall2.py %{buildroot}%{_rpmconfigdir}/redhat/
 
 
 %changelog
+* Thu Sep 09 2021 Miro Hrončok <mhroncok@redhat.com> - 3.9-44
+- Set $RPM_BUILD_ROOT in %%{python3_...} macros
+  to allow selecting alternate sysconfig install scheme based on that variable
+
 * Wed Aug 11 2021 Tomas Orsava <torsava@redhat.com> - 3.9-43
 - Define a new macros %%python_wheel_dir and %%python_wheel_pkg_prefix
 - Related: rhbz#1982668