diff --git a/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in b/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
index 6c76cde8b..2a0c84535 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
+++ b/interfaces/cython/setup.py.in
@@ -2,19 +2,35 @@ import os
 from distutils.core import setup
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
 
-from distutils.command.build import build
-
-def get_build_lib(self):
-    return self._build_lib
-
-def set_build_lib(self, val):
-    if val is None or self._build_lib is None:
-        self._build_lib = val
-
 # Monkey patch to prevent bdist_msi from incorrectly overwriting the value of
 # build-lib specified on the command line.
 # See http://bugs.python.org/issue1109963
-build.build_lib = property(get_build_lib, set_build_lib)
+
+# This patch works by returning False the first time that the
+# 'has_ext_modules' method is called in bdist_msi.run, which is where the
+# replacement of build_lib happens. Subsequent calls to 'has_ext_modules'
+# should use the correct value so that the resulting installer is specific to
+# this Python version. Known to affect Python versions 2.6 through 3.3. If
+# this bug is ever fixed, this patch should be made conditional on the Python
+# version.
+if os.name == 'nt':
+    from distutils.command.bdist_msi import bdist_msi
+    bdist_run_orig = bdist_msi.run
+    def bdist_run_new(self):
+        has_ext_modules_orig = self.distribution.has_ext_modules
+        self._first_call = True
+        def has_ext_modules():
+            if self._first_call:
+                self._first_call = False
+                return False
+            else:
+                return has_ext_modules_orig()
+
+        self.distribution.has_ext_modules = has_ext_modules
+        return bdist_run_orig(self)
+
+    bdist_msi.run = bdist_run_new
+
 
 exts = cythonize("cantera/_cantera.pyx")