diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c5ae133b34..70f3cbc041 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(django_dir):
     elif filenames:
         data_files.append([dirpath, [os.path.join(dirpath, f) for f in filenames]])
 
+# Small hack for working with bdist_wininst.
+# See http://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2004-August/004134.html
+if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'bdist_wininst':
+    for file_info in data_files:
+        file_info[0] = '\\PURELIB\\%s' % file_info[0]
+
 # Dynamically calculate the version based on django.VERSION.
 version_tuple = __import__('django').VERSION
 if version_tuple[2] is not None: