diff --git a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
index 544e8fd444..eeb21b5083 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     'samefile', 'easy_install', 'PthDistributions', 'extract_wininst_cfg',
-    'main', 'get_exe_prefixes',
+    'get_exe_prefixes',
 ]
 
 
@@ -2284,50 +2284,6 @@ def current_umask():
     return tmp
 
 
-def main(argv=None, **kw):
-    from setuptools import setup
-    from setuptools.dist import Distribution
-
-    class DistributionWithoutHelpCommands(Distribution):
-        common_usage = ""
-
-        def _show_help(self, *args, **kw):
-            with _patch_usage():
-                Distribution._show_help(self, *args, **kw)
-
-    if argv is None:
-        argv = sys.argv[1:]
-
-    with _patch_usage():
-        setup(
-            script_args=['-q', 'easy_install', '-v'] + argv,
-            script_name=sys.argv[0] or 'easy_install',
-            distclass=DistributionWithoutHelpCommands,
-            **kw
-        )
-
-
-@contextlib.contextmanager
-def _patch_usage():
-    import distutils.core
-    USAGE = textwrap.dedent("""
-        usage: %(script)s [options] requirement_or_url ...
-           or: %(script)s --help
-        """).lstrip()
-
-    def gen_usage(script_name):
-        return USAGE % dict(
-            script=os.path.basename(script_name),
-        )
-
-    saved = distutils.core.gen_usage
-    distutils.core.gen_usage = gen_usage
-    try:
-        yield
-    finally:
-        distutils.core.gen_usage = saved
-
-
 class EasyInstallDeprecationWarning(SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning):
     """
     Warning for EasyInstall deprecations, bypassing suppression.
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_easy_install.py b/setuptools/tests/test_easy_install.py
index 3340a59c24..66598066d7 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_easy_install.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_easy_install.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import mock
 import time
 import re
+import subprocess
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@
     EasyInstallDeprecationWarning, ScriptWriter, PthDistributions,
     WindowsScriptWriter,
 )
-from setuptools.command import easy_install as easy_install_pkg
 from setuptools.dist import Distribution
 from pkg_resources import normalize_path, working_set
 from pkg_resources import Distribution as PRDistribution
@@ -461,17 +461,16 @@ def test_setup_requires_honors_fetch_params(self, mock_index, monkeypatch):
             with TestSetupRequires.create_sdist() as dist_file:
                 with contexts.tempdir() as temp_install_dir:
                     with contexts.environment(PYTHONPATH=temp_install_dir):
-                        ei_params = [
+                        cmd = [
+                            sys.executable,
+                            '-m', 'setup',
+                            'easy_install',
                             '--index-url', mock_index.url,
                             '--exclude-scripts',
                             '--install-dir', temp_install_dir,
                             dist_file,
                         ]
-                        with sandbox.save_argv(['easy_install']):
-                            # attempt to install the dist. It should
-                            # fail because it doesn't exist.
-                            with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
-                                easy_install_pkg.main(ei_params)
+                        subprocess.Popen(cmd).wait()
         # there should have been one requests to the server
         assert [r.path for r in mock_index.requests] == ['/does-not-exist/']