diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e2de96de358..f73501b8b35 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -246,7 +246,6 @@ setuptools.setup(
   ext_modules=CYTHON_EXTENSION_MODULES,
   packages=list(PACKAGES),
   package_dir=PACKAGE_DIRECTORIES,
-  namespace_packages=['grpc'],
   package_data=PACKAGE_DATA,
   install_requires=INSTALL_REQUIRES,
   setup_requires=SETUP_REQUIRES,
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/__init__.py b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/__init__.py
index 9e784c8157b..d07a7a721d7 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/__init__.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/__init__.py
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 
 """gRPC's Python API."""
 
-__import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-
 import abc
 import enum