diff --git a/Lib/_aix_support.py b/Lib/_aix_support.py
index 2c5cd3297d..558070643b 100644
--- a/Lib/_aix_support.py
+++ b/Lib/_aix_support.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ try:
except TypeError:
_bd = _MISSING_BD
+print(f"_AIX_SUPPORT: {_have_subprocess=} {_bd=} {_bgt=}")
+
# Infer the ABI bitwidth from maxsize (assuming 64 bit as the default)
_sz = 32 if sys.maxsize == (2**31-1) else 64
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 24ce9a632d..36fabc0567 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,16 +1,5 @@
# Autodetecting setup.py script for building the Python extensions
-import argparse
-import importlib._bootstrap
-import importlib.machinery
-import importlib.util
-import os
-import re
-import sys
-import sysconfig
-from glob import glob
-
-
try:
import subprocess
del subprocess
@@ -28,6 +17,15 @@ except ImportError:
del _bootsubprocess
SUBPROCESS_BOOTSTRAP = True
+import argparse
+import importlib._bootstrap
+import importlib.machinery
+import importlib.util
+import os
+import re
+import sys
+import sysconfig
+from glob import glob
from distutils import log
from distutils.command.build_ext import build_ext