diff --git a/odoo-bin b/odoo-bin
index 535ea47f60f..fae9bf233b6 100755
--- a/odoo-bin
+++ b/odoo-bin
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 # set server timezone in UTC before time module imported
 __import__('os').environ['TZ'] = 'UTC'
-__import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace('odoo.addons')
 import odoo
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/odoo/__init__.py b/odoo/__init__.py
index 3c3b14fdadc..2814706b57a 100644
--- a/odoo/__init__.py
+++ b/odoo/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 
 """ OpenERP core library."""
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------
+# odoo must be a namespace package for odoo.addons to become one too
+# https://packaging.python.org/guides/packaging-namespace-packages/
+#----------------------------------------------------------
+__path__ = __import__('pkgutil').extend_path(__path__, __name__)
+
 #----------------------------------------------------------
 # Running mode flags (gevent, prefork)
 #----------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/odoo/addons/__init__.py b/odoo/addons/__init__.py
index d3a3e7e9ba2..c0058937588 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/__init__.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/__init__.py
@@ -14,4 +14,7 @@ This module also conveniently reexports some symbols from odoo.modules.
 Importing them from here is deprecated.
 
 """
-__import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
+# make odoo.addons a namespace package, while keeping this __init__.py
+# present, for python 2 compatibility
+# https://packaging.python.org/guides/packaging-namespace-packages/
+__path__ = __import__('pkgutil').extend_path(__path__, __name__)
diff --git a/setup/odoo b/setup/odoo
index 535ea47f60f..fae9bf233b6 100644
--- a/setup/odoo
+++ b/setup/odoo
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 # set server timezone in UTC before time module imported
 __import__('os').environ['TZ'] = 'UTC'
-__import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace('odoo.addons')
 import odoo
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":