diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ Thumbs.db
 
 # Things specific to this project #
 ###################################
-lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlib.conf
-lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
 tutorials/intermediate/CL01.png
 tutorials/intermediate/CL02.png
 

diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template → lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc b/matplotlibrc.template → lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py
@@ -496,7 +496,11 @@ def test_backend_fallback_headful(tmpdir):
     env = {**os.environ, "MPLBACKEND": "", "MPLCONFIGDIR": str(tmpdir)}
     backend = subprocess.check_output(
         [sys.executable, "-c",
-         "import matplotlib.pyplot; print(matplotlib.get_backend())"],
+         "import matplotlib as mpl; "
+         "assert dict.__getitem__(mpl.rcParams, 'backend') == "
+         "mpl.rcsetup._auto_backend_sentinel; "
+         "import matplotlib.pyplot; "
+         "print(matplotlib.get_backend())"],
         env=env, universal_newlines=True)
     # The actual backend will depend on what's installed, but at least tkagg is
     # present.

diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
@@ -30,18 +30,15 @@
 import subprocess
 
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages, Extension
-from setuptools.command.build_ext import build_ext as BuildExtCommand
-from setuptools.command.test import test as TestCommand
+import setuptools.command.build_ext
+import setuptools.command.build_py
+import setuptools.command.test
+import setuptools.command.sdist
 
 # The setuptools version of sdist adds a setup.cfg file to the tree.
 # We don't want that, so we simply remove it, and it will fall back to
 # vanilla distutils.
-try:
-    from setuptools.command import sdist
-except ImportError:
-    pass
-else:
-    del sdist.sdist.make_release_tree
+del setuptools.command.sdist.sdist.make_release_tree
 
 from distutils.errors import CompileError
 from distutils.dist import Distribution
@@ -75,13 +72,13 @@ def has_flag(self, flagname):
     return True
 
 
-class NoopTestCommand(TestCommand):
+class NoopTestCommand(setuptools.command.test.test):
     def __init__(self, dist):
         print("Matplotlib does not support running tests with "
               "'python setup.py test'. Please run 'pytest'.")
 
 
-class BuildExtraLibraries(BuildExtCommand):
+class BuildExtraLibraries(setuptools.command.build_ext.build_ext):
     def finalize_options(self):
         self.distribution.ext_modules[:] = [
             ext
@@ -196,6 +193,34 @@ def build_extensions(self):
         return super().build_extensions()
 
 
+def update_matplotlibrc(path):
+    # Update the matplotlibrc file if packagers want to change the default
+    # backend.
+    template_lines = path.read_text().splitlines(True)
+    backend_line_idx, = [  # Also asserts that there is a single such line.
+        idx for idx, line in enumerate(template_lines)
+        if line.startswith("#backend:")]
+    template_lines[backend_line_idx] = (
+        "#backend: {}".format(setupext.options["backend"])
+        if setupext.options["backend"]
+        else "#backend:")
+    path.write_text("".join(template_lines))
+
+
+class BuildPy(setuptools.command.build_py.build_py):
+    def run(self):
+        super().run()
+        update_matplotlibrc(
+            Path(self.build_lib, "matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc"))
+
+
+class Sdist(setuptools.command.sdist.sdist):
+    def make_release_tree(self, base_dir, files):
+        super().make_release_tree(base_dir, files)
+        update_matplotlibrc(
+            Path(base_dir, "lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc"))
+
+
 package_data = {}  # Will be filled below by the various components.
 
 # If the user just queries for information, don't bother figuring out which
@@ -234,18 +259,6 @@ def build_extensions(self):
             package_data.setdefault(key, [])
             package_data[key] = list(set(val + package_data[key]))
 
-    # Write the default matplotlibrc file
-    with open('matplotlibrc.template') as fd:
-        template_lines = fd.read().splitlines(True)
-    backend_line_idx, = [  # Also asserts that there is a single such line.
-        idx for idx, line in enumerate(template_lines)
-        if line.startswith('#backend:')]
-    if setupext.options['backend']:
-        template_lines[backend_line_idx] = (
-            'backend: {}'.format(setupext.options['backend']))
-    with open('lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc', 'w') as fd:
-        fd.write(''.join(template_lines))
-
 setup(  # Finally, pass this all along to distutils to do the heavy lifting.
     name="matplotlib",
     description="Python plotting package",
@@ -316,5 +329,7 @@ def build_extensions(self):
     cmdclass={
         "test": NoopTestCommand,
         "build_ext": BuildExtraLibraries,
+        "build_py": BuildPy,
+        "sdist": Sdist,
     },
 )
diff --git a/tutorials/introductory/customizing.py b/tutorials/introductory/customizing.py
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@
 # A sample matplotlibrc file
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 #
-# .. literalinclude:: ../../../matplotlibrc.template
+# .. literalinclude:: ../../../lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
 #
 #
 # .. _ggplot: https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org/