diff --git a/setuptools/__init__.py b/setuptools/__init__.py
index 7da47fbed5e..3085605fd94 100644
--- a/setuptools/__init__.py
+++ b/setuptools/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """Extensions to the 'distutils' for large or complex distributions"""
 
 import os
+import sys
 import functools
 import distutils.core
 import distutils.filelist
@@ -15,11 +16,18 @@
 from setuptools.depends import Require
 from . import monkey
 
+
+is_py33_upwards = sys.version_info >= (3,3)
+
 __all__ = [
     'setup', 'Distribution', 'Feature', 'Command', 'Extension', 'Require',
-    'find_packages',
+    'find_packages'
 ]
 
+if is_py33_upwards:
+  __all__.append('find_packages_ns')
+
+
 __version__ = setuptools.version.__version__
 
 bootstrap_install_from = None
@@ -107,7 +115,11 @@ def _looks_like_package(path):
         return True
 
 
-find_packages = PackageFinder.find
+find_packages = find_packages_std = PackageFinder.find
+
+
+if is_py33_upwards:
+  find_packages_ns = PEP420PackageFinder.find
 
 
 def _install_setup_requires(attrs):
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_find_packages.py b/setuptools/tests/test_find_packages.py
index a6023de9d5a..088d444f53a 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_find_packages.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_find_packages.py
@@ -7,10 +7,15 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-import setuptools
 from setuptools import find_packages
 
-find_420_packages = setuptools.PEP420PackageFinder.find
+try:
+  from setuptools import find_packages_ns
+except:
+  # just catch
+  pass
+
+py33_upwards = pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info < (3,3), reason="Test runs on Python >= 3.3 only")
 
 # modeled after CPython's test.support.can_symlink
 
@@ -153,30 +158,35 @@ def test_symlinked_packages_are_included(self):
     def _assert_packages(self, actual, expected):
         assert set(actual) == set(expected)
 
+    @py33_upwards
     def test_pep420_ns_package(self):
-        packages = find_420_packages(
+        packages = find_packages_ns(
             self.dist_dir, include=['pkg*'], exclude=['pkg.subpkg.assets'])
         self._assert_packages(packages, ['pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg'])
 
+    @py33_upwards
     def test_pep420_ns_package_no_includes(self):
-        packages = find_420_packages(
+        packages = find_packages_ns(
             self.dist_dir, exclude=['pkg.subpkg.assets'])
         self._assert_packages(packages, ['docs', 'pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg'])
 
+    @py33_upwards
     def test_pep420_ns_package_no_includes_or_excludes(self):
-        packages = find_420_packages(self.dist_dir)
-        expected = [
-            'docs', 'pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg', 'pkg.subpkg.assets']
+        packages = find_packages_ns(self.dist_dir)
+        expected = ['docs', 'pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg', 'pkg.subpkg.assets']
         self._assert_packages(packages, expected)
 
+    @py33_upwards
     def test_regular_package_with_nested_pep420_ns_packages(self):
         self._touch('__init__.py', self.pkg_dir)
-        packages = find_420_packages(
+        packages = find_packages_ns(
             self.dist_dir, exclude=['docs', 'pkg.subpkg.assets'])
         self._assert_packages(packages, ['pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg'])
 
+    @py33_upwards
     def test_pep420_ns_package_no_non_package_dirs(self):
         shutil.rmtree(self.docs_dir)
         shutil.rmtree(os.path.join(self.dist_dir, 'pkg/subpkg/assets'))
-        packages = find_420_packages(self.dist_dir)
+        packages = find_packages_ns(self.dist_dir)
         self._assert_packages(packages, ['pkg', 'pkg.nspkg', 'pkg.subpkg'])
+