diff --git a/doc/sphinx/compiling.rst b/doc/sphinx/compiling.rst
index 40a60f1c2..6c8389fb2 100644
--- a/doc/sphinx/compiling.rst
+++ b/doc/sphinx/compiling.rst
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ Optional Programs
 * `Cython <http://cython.org/>`_
 
   * Required to build the new Python module
-  * Known to work with versions 0.16, 0.17, and 0.18. Expected to work with
-    versions >= 0.16.
+  * Known to work with versions 0.17 and 0.18. Expected to work with
+    versions >= 0.17.
   * Supports Python 2.7 and 3.2. Expected to work with versions >= 3.2.
 
 * `3to2 <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/3to2>`_
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pyx b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pyx
index 2646af102..7fe4d17ce 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pyx
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pyx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #cython: embedsignature=True
+#distutils: language = c++
 
 import numpy as np
 cimport numpy as np
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in b/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
index 451e9821a..0dd775de8 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
+++ b/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 import os
-from setuptools import setup, find_packages, Extension
-from distutils.sysconfig import get_config_var
-from Cython.Distutils import build_ext
+from distutils.core import setup
+from Cython.Build import cythonize
 
-exts = [Extension("cantera._cantera",
-                  ["cantera/_cantera.pyx"],
-                  include_dirs=@py_include_dirs@,
-                  language="c++",
-                  libraries=@py_cantera_libs@,
-                  library_dirs=@py_libdirs@,
-                  extra_compile_args=@py_extra_compiler_args@,
-                  extra_link_args=@py_extra_link_args@)]
+exts = cythonize("cantera/_cantera.pyx")
+
+exts[0].include_dirs += @py_include_dirs@
+exts[0].extra_compile_args += @py_extra_compiler_args@
+exts[0].libraries += @py_cantera_libs@
+exts[0].library_dirs += @py_libdirs@
+exts[0].extra_link_args += @py_extra_link_args@
 
 setup(name="Cantera",
       version="@cantera_version@",
@@ -20,8 +18,11 @@ setup(name="Cantera",
       author="Raymond Speth",
       author_email="speth@mit.edu",
       url="http://code.google.com/p/cantera",
-      packages = find_packages(),
-      cmdclass = {'build_ext': build_ext},
+      packages = ['cantera',
+                  'cantera.data',
+                  'cantera.test',
+                  'cantera.test.data',
+                  'cantera.examples'],
       ext_modules = exts,
       package_data = {'cantera.data': ['*.*'],
                       'cantera.test.data': ['*.*'],