diff --git a/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml b/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
index 513c65bb8..a3361798d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         # Get the latest pip, wheel, and prior to Python 3.12, setuptools.
         . .venv/bin/activate
-        python -m pip install -U pip $(pip freeze --all | grep -ow ^setuptools) wheel
+        python -m pip install -U pip 'setuptools; python_version<"3.12"' wheel
 
     - name: Install project and test dependencies
       run: |
         . .venv/bin/activate
-        pip install ".[test]"
+        pip install '.[test]'
 
     - name: Show version and platform information
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml b/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
index 7c3eeedca..6943db09c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PyPA packages
       run: |
         # Get the latest pip, wheel, and prior to Python 3.12, setuptools.
-        python -m pip install -U pip $(pip freeze --all | grep -ow ^setuptools) wheel
+        python -m pip install -U pip 'setuptools; python_version<"3.12"' wheel
 
     - name: Install project and test dependencies
       run: |
-        pip install ".[test]"
+        pip install '.[test]'
 
     - name: Show version and platform information
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
index e7cb06cc0..c56d45df7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PyPA packages
       run: |
         # Get the latest pip, wheel, and prior to Python 3.12, setuptools.
-        python -m pip install -U pip $(pip freeze --all | grep -ow ^setuptools) wheel
+        python -m pip install -U pip 'setuptools; python_version<"3.12"' wheel
 
     - name: Install project and test dependencies
       run: |
-        pip install ".[test]"
+        pip install '.[test]'
 
     - name: Show version and platform information
       run: |
@@ -114,5 +114,5 @@ jobs:
     - name: Documentation
       if: matrix.python-version != '3.7'
       run: |
-        pip install ".[doc]"
+        pip install '.[doc]'
         make -C doc html
diff --git a/test/lib/helper.py b/test/lib/helper.py
index 5d91447ea..241d27341 100644
--- a/test/lib/helper.py
+++ b/test/lib/helper.py
@@ -415,9 +415,15 @@ def __init__(self, env_dir, *, with_pip):
 
         if with_pip:
             # The upgrade_deps parameter to venv.create is 3.9+ only, so do it this way.
-            command = [self.python, "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", "pip"]
-            if sys.version_info < (3, 12):
-                command.append("setuptools")
+            command = [
+                self.python,
+                "-m",
+                "pip",
+                "install",
+                "--upgrade",
+                "pip",
+                'setuptools; python_version<"3.12"',
+            ]
             subprocess.check_output(command)
 
     @property