diff --git a/lang/python/python.port.mk b/lang/python/python.port.mk
index 197b28539b8..345c1dfdc7b 100644
--- a/lang/python/python.port.mk
+++ b/lang/python/python.port.mk
@@ -182,10 +182,11 @@ MODPY_SETUPUTILS =	Yes
 TEST_TARGET ?=	test
 _MODPY_USERBASE =
 _MODPY_PRE_BUILD_STEPS += ;[ -e ${WRKSRC}/${MODPY_SETUP} ] || \
-			( \
-			echo '\# generated by python.port.mk'; \
-			echo 'from setuptools import setup; setup()' \
-			) > ${WRKSRC}/${MODPY_SETUP}
+			( printf '%s\n%s\n' \
+			'\# generated by python.port.mk' \
+			'from setuptools import setup; setup()' \
+			> ${WRKSRC}/${MODPY_SETUP}; \
+			echo '*** generating minimal setup.py')
 _MODPY_PRE_BUILD_STEPS += ;${MODPY_CMD} egg_info || true
 # Setuptools opportunistically picks up plugins. If it picks one up that
 # uses finalize_distribution_options (usually setuptools_scm), junking