diff --git a/ext/backports/__init__.py b/ext/backports/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3ad9513f40e..00000000000
--- a/ext/backports/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-from pkgutil import extend_path
-__path__ = extend_path(__path__, __name__)
diff --git a/ext/configparser.pth b/ext/configparser.pth
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..781f5d2a637
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/configparser.pth
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import sys, types, os;has_mfs = sys.version_info > (3, 5);p = os.path.join(sys._getframe(1).f_locals['sitedir'], *('backports',));importlib = has_mfs and __import__('importlib.util');has_mfs and __import__('importlib.machinery');m = has_mfs and sys.modules.setdefault('backports', importlib.util.module_from_spec(importlib.machinery.PathFinder.find_spec('backports', [os.path.dirname(p)])));m = m or sys.modules.setdefault('backports', types.ModuleType('backports'));mp = (m or []) and m.__dict__.setdefault('__path__',[]);(p not in mp) and mp.append(p)
diff --git a/medusa/init/__init__.py b/medusa/init/__init__.py
index 36f6dd50aa1..82773f16cd6 100644
--- a/medusa/init/__init__.py
+++ b/medusa/init/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import mimetypes
 import os
 import shutil
+import site
 import sys
 
 
@@ -46,8 +47,20 @@ def _ext_lib_location():
 
 
 def _configure_syspath():
-    sys.path.insert(1, _lib_location())
-    sys.path.insert(1, _ext_lib_location())
+    # Note: Paths are inserted in reverse order (LIFO)
+    paths_to_insert = [
+        _lib_location(),
+        _ext_lib_location()
+    ]
+
+    # Handle `.pth` files: https://bugs.python.org/issue7744
+    for dirpath in paths_to_insert:
+        # Clear `sys.path`
+        sys.path, remainder = sys.path[:1], sys.path[1:]
+        # Add directory as a site-packages directory and handle `.pth` files
+        site.addsitedir(dirpath)
+        # Restore rest of `sys.path`
+        sys.path.extend(remainder)
 
 
 def _register_utf8_codec():