diff --git a/setup.cfg.template b/setup.cfg.template
index 4b56914b29dc..0c0848f5537a 100644
--- a/setup.cfg.template
+++ b/setup.cfg.template
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 [directories]
 # Uncomment to override the default basedir in setupext.py.
-# This can be a single directory or a space-delimited list of directories.
+# This can be a single directory or a comma-delimited list of directories.
 #basedirlist = /usr
 
 [status]
diff --git a/setupext.py b/setupext.py
index 85ff433559fd..63109aed297b 100644
--- a/setupext.py
+++ b/setupext.py
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@ def check_output(*popenargs, **kwargs):
         pass
 
     try:
-        options['basedirlist'] = config.get("directories", "basedirlist")
+        options['basedirlist'] = [
+            x.strip() for x in
+            config.get("directories", "basedirlist").split(',')]
     except:
         pass
 else: