diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7ebd04e79..74ff4d87f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -49,9 +49,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
       - name: Set up python environment
+        env:
+          ESPHOME_NO_VENV: 1
         run: |
           script/setup
-          pip install setuptools wheel twine
+          pip install twine
       - name: Build
         run: python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
       - name: Upload
diff --git a/script/setup b/script/setup
index 656e95eba..e1b5941d0 100755
--- a/script/setup
+++ b/script/setup
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ set -e
 
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 
-if [ ! -n "$DEVCONTAINER" ] && [ ! -n "$VIRTUAL_ENV" ]; then
+if [ ! -n "$DEVCONTAINER" ] && [ ! -n "$VIRTUAL_ENV" ] && [ ! "$ESPHOME_NO_VENV" ]; then
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate
 fi
 
 pip3 install -r requirements.txt -r requirements_optional.txt -r requirements_test.txt
+pip3 install setuptools wheel
 pip3 install --no-use-pep517 -e .
 
 pre-commit install