diff --git a/playbooks/roles/pip3/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/pip3/tasks/main.yaml
index 9845036d2a..8360b0009e 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/pip3/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/pip3/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
       - python3-virtualenv
     state: absent
 
+# NOTE(ianw) : See https://github.com/pypa/get-pip/issues/43;
+# requirement of get-pip.py
+- name: Ensure distutils
+  package:
+    name:
+      - python3-distutils
+    state: present
+
 - name: Download get-pip.py
   command: wget https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py
   args: