diff --git a/3.10/alpine3.20/Dockerfile b/3.10/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
index 904d78274..ab70176e4 100644
--- a/3.10/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.10/alpine3.21/Dockerfile b/3.10/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
index f50ab034d..08c7c5404 100644
--- a/3.10/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.10/bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.10/bookworm/Dockerfile
index 7077b6ad9..4ae7ae86a 100644
--- a/3.10/bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.10/bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.10/bullseye/Dockerfile
index c68c3fa98..87e6e8d28 100644
--- a/3.10/bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.10/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.10/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
index c6c7b7e3b..1a51c594b 100644
--- a/3.10/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.10/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.10/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
index 21e9cd821..7b4feacbc 100644
--- a/3.10/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.10/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/alpine3.20/Dockerfile b/3.11/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
index 569550e17..a52863867 100644
--- a/3.11/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/alpine3.21/Dockerfile b/3.11/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
index 0c4ae403a..0e9942484 100644
--- a/3.11/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.11/bookworm/Dockerfile
index 8d9f24fb5..9ae65f05c 100644
--- a/3.11/bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.11/bullseye/Dockerfile
index 03891a315..6a00359e8 100644
--- a/3.11/bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.11/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
index 91d62309d..5976e1ed7 100644
--- a/3.11/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.11/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.11/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
index 91175b24c..c5a28a5d2 100644
--- a/3.11/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.11/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==65.5.1' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/alpine3.20/Dockerfile b/3.9/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
index f0d2d7d2b..218b8d942 100644
--- a/3.9/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/alpine3.21/Dockerfile b/3.9/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
index 421650c04..5c96838ae 100644
--- a/3.9/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.9/bookworm/Dockerfile
index 2c4863f3b..7373d1d9b 100644
--- a/3.9/bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.9/bullseye/Dockerfile
index 8333aa2c4..01b1c1037 100644
--- a/3.9/bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile b/3.9/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
index 0457d581a..3ec2db19d 100644
--- a/3.9/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/slim-bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/3.9/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile b/3.9/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
index df12ba8a4..f9ca2ee40 100644
--- a/3.9/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/3.9/slim-bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 		--disable-pip-version-check \
 		--no-cache-dir \
 		--no-compile \
-		'setuptools==58.1.0' \
+		'setuptools==70.1.0' \
 		wheel \
 	; \
 	pip3 --version
diff --git a/versions.json b/versions.json
index ef3e40b11..d40e4c9af 100644
--- a/versions.json
+++ b/versions.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       }
     },
     "setuptools": {
-      "version": "65.5.1"
+      "version": "70.1.0"
     },
     "variants": [
       "bookworm",
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
       }
     },
     "setuptools": {
-      "version": "65.5.1"
+      "version": "70.1.0"
     },
     "variants": [
       "bookworm",
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
       }
     },
     "setuptools": {
-      "version": "58.1.0"
+      "version": "70.1.0"
     },
     "variants": [
       "bookworm",
diff --git a/versions.sh b/versions.sh
index f574d65d2..b800afdb7 100755
--- a/versions.sh
+++ b/versions.sh
@@ -171,11 +171,6 @@ for version in "${versions[@]}"; do
 				echo >&2 "error: $version: setuptools version ($setuptoolsVersion) seems to be invalid?"
 				exit 1
 			fi
-
-			# https://github.com/docker-library/python/issues/781 (TODO remove this if 3.10 and 3.11 embed a newer setuptools and this section no longer applies)
-			if [ "$setuptoolsVersion" = '65.5.0' ]; then
-				setuptoolsVersion='65.5.1'
-			fi
 			;;
 
 		*)