diff --git a/inc/python b/inc/python
index 29e4f38ca4..35f00bb21d 100644
--- a/inc/python
+++ b/inc/python
@@ -211,9 +211,11 @@ function pip_install {
     cmd_pip="$cmd_pip install"
     # Always apply constraints
     cmd_pip="$cmd_pip -c $REQUIREMENTS_DIR/upper-constraints.txt"
-    # NOTE(stephenfin): stable-only change to disable build-isolation so that
-    # we can pin setuptools on these old branches
-    cmd_pip="$cmd_pip --no-build-isolation"
+    if [ "${sudo_pip}" == "env" ]; then
+        # NOTE(stephenfin): stable-only change to disable build-isolation so that
+        # we can pin setuptools on these old branches
+        cmd_pip="$cmd_pip --no-build-isolation"
+    fi
 
     $xtrace