diff --git a/Lib/distutils/README b/Lib/distutils/README
index 23f4885..408a203 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/README
+++ b/Lib/distutils/README
@@ -8,4 +8,6 @@
 
     http://www.python.org/sigs/distutils-sig/
 
+WARNING : Distutils must remain compatible with 2.3
+
 $Id$
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
index 1d5a75d..1ed69f3 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 __revision__ = "$Id$"
 
 import sys, os, re
-from site import USER_BASE
 from distutils.core import Command
 from distutils.errors import *
 from distutils.sysconfig import customize_compiler, get_python_version
@@ -16,6 +15,14 @@
 from distutils.util import get_platform
 from distutils import log
 
+# this keeps compatibility from 2.3 to 2.5
+if sys.version < "2.6":
+    USER_BASE = None
+    HAS_USER_SITE = False
+else:
+    from site import USER_BASE
+    HAS_USER_SITE = True
+
 if os.name == 'nt':
     from distutils.msvccompiler import get_build_version
     MSVC_VERSION = int(get_build_version())
@@ -91,11 +98,14 @@
          "list of SWIG command line options"),
         ('swig=', None,
          "path to the SWIG executable"),
-        ('user', None,
-         "add user include, library and rpath"),
         ]
 
-    boolean_options = ['inplace', 'debug', 'force', 'swig-cpp', 'user']
+    boolean_options = ['inplace', 'debug', 'force', 'swig-cpp']
+
+    if HAS_USER_SITE:
+        user_options.append(('user', None,
+                             "add user include, library and rpath"))
+        boolean_options.append('user')
 
     help_options = [
         ('help-compiler', None,
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/install.py b/Lib/distutils/command/install.py
index b5c9554..de81173 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/install.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/install.py
@@ -15,9 +15,16 @@
 from distutils.util import convert_path, subst_vars, change_root
 from distutils.util import get_platform
 from distutils.errors import DistutilsOptionError
-from site import USER_BASE
-from site import USER_SITE
 
+# this keeps compatibility from 2.3 to 2.5
+if sys.version < "2.6":
+    USER_BASE = None
+    USER_SITE = None
+    HAS_USER_SITE = False
+else:
+    from site import USER_BASE
+    from site import USER_SITE
+    HAS_USER_SITE = True
 
 if sys.version < "2.2":
     WINDOWS_SCHEME = {
@@ -51,21 +58,7 @@
         'scripts': '$base/bin',
         'data'   : '$base',
         },
-    'unix_user': {
-        'purelib': '$usersite',
-        'platlib': '$usersite',
-        'headers': '$userbase/include/python$py_version_short/$dist_name',
-        'scripts': '$userbase/bin',
-        'data'   : '$userbase',
-        },
     'nt': WINDOWS_SCHEME,
-    'nt_user': {
-        'purelib': '$usersite',
-        'platlib': '$usersite',
-        'headers': '$userbase/Python$py_version_nodot/Include/$dist_name',
-        'scripts': '$userbase/Scripts',
-        'data'   : '$userbase',
-        },
     'mac': {
         'purelib': '$base/Lib/site-packages',
         'platlib': '$base/Lib/site-packages',
@@ -73,13 +66,7 @@
         'scripts': '$base/Scripts',
         'data'   : '$base',
         },
-    'mac_user': {
-        'purelib': '$usersite',
-        'platlib': '$usersite',
-        'headers': '$userbase/$py_version_short/include/$dist_name',
-        'scripts': '$userbase/bin',
-        'data'   : '$userbase',
-        },
+
     'os2': {
         'purelib': '$base/Lib/site-packages',
         'platlib': '$base/Lib/site-packages',
@@ -87,14 +74,41 @@
         'scripts': '$base/Scripts',
         'data'   : '$base',
         },
-    'os2_home': {
+    }
+
+# user site schemes
+if HAS_USER_SITE:
+    INSTALL_SCHEMES['nt_user'] = {
+        'purelib': '$usersite',
+        'platlib': '$usersite',
+        'headers': '$userbase/Python$py_version_nodot/Include/$dist_name',
+        'scripts': '$userbase/Scripts',
+        'data'   : '$userbase',
+        }
+
+    INSTALL_SCHEMES['unix_user'] = {
         'purelib': '$usersite',
         'platlib': '$usersite',
         'headers': '$userbase/include/python$py_version_short/$dist_name',
         'scripts': '$userbase/bin',
         'data'   : '$userbase',
-        },
-    }
+        }
+
+    INSTALL_SCHEMES['mac_user'] = {
+        'purelib': '$usersite',
+        'platlib': '$usersite',
+        'headers': '$userbase/$py_version_short/include/$dist_name',
+        'scripts': '$userbase/bin',
+        'data'   : '$userbase',
+        }
+
+    INSTALL_SCHEMES['os2_home'] = {
+        'purelib': '$usersite',
+        'platlib': '$usersite',
+        'headers': '$userbase/include/python$py_version_short/$dist_name',
+        'scripts': '$userbase/bin',
+        'data'   : '$userbase',
+        }
 
 # The keys to an installation scheme; if any new types of files are to be
 # installed, be sure to add an entry to every installation scheme above,
@@ -114,8 +128,6 @@
          "(Unix only) prefix for platform-specific files"),
         ('home=', None,
          "(Unix only) home directory to install under"),
-        ('user', None,
-         "install in user site-package '%s'" % USER_SITE),
 
         # Or, just set the base director(y|ies)
         ('install-base=', None,
@@ -167,7 +179,13 @@
          "filename in which to record list of installed files"),
         ]
 
-    boolean_options = ['compile', 'force', 'skip-build', 'user']
+    boolean_options = ['compile', 'force', 'skip-build']
+
+    if HAS_USER_SITE:
+        user_options.append(('user', None,
+                             "install in user site-package '%s'" % USER_SITE))
+        boolean_options.append('user')
+
     negative_opt = {'no-compile' : 'compile'}
 
 
@@ -319,9 +337,12 @@
                             'prefix': prefix,
                             'sys_exec_prefix': exec_prefix,
                             'exec_prefix': exec_prefix,
-                            'userbase': self.install_userbase,
-                            'usersite': self.install_usersite,
                            }
+
+        if HAS_USER_SITE:
+            self.config_vars['userbase'] = self.install_userbase
+            self.config_vars['usersite'] = self.install_usersite
+
         self.expand_basedirs()
 
         self.dump_dirs("post-expand_basedirs()")
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/upload.py b/Lib/distutils/command/upload.py
index 020e860..eb2f516 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/upload.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/upload.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from distutils.core import PyPIRCCommand
 from distutils.spawn import spawn
 from distutils import log
-from hashlib import md5
+import sys
 import os, io
 import socket
 import platform
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@
 import base64
 import urllib.parse
 
+# this keeps compatibility for 2.3 and 2.4
+if sys.version < "2.5":
+    from md5 import md5
+else:
+    from hashlib import md5
+
 class upload(PyPIRCCommand):
 
     description = "upload binary package to PyPI"
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
index 91b3de8..2e47953 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
@@ -24,11 +24,17 @@
     def setUp(self):
         # Create a simple test environment
         # Note that we're making changes to sys.path
-        TempdirManager.setUp(self)
+        super(BuildExtTestCase, self).setUp()
         self.tmp_dir = self.mkdtemp()
         self.sys_path = sys.path[:]
         sys.path.append(self.tmp_dir)
         shutil.copy(_get_source_filename(), self.tmp_dir)
+        if sys.version > "2.6":
+            import site
+            self.old_user_base = site.USER_BASE
+            site.USER_BASE = self.mkdtemp()
+            from distutils.command import build_ext
+            build_ext.USER_BASE = site.USER_BASE
 
     def test_build_ext(self):
         global ALREADY_TESTED
@@ -76,7 +82,12 @@
         # Get everything back to normal
         support.unload('xx')
         sys.path = self.sys_path
-        TempdirManager.tearDown(self)
+        if sys.version > "2.6":
+            import site
+            site.USER_BASE = self.old_user_base
+            from distutils.command import build_ext
+            build_ext.USER_BASE = self.old_user_base
+        super(BuildExtTestCase, self).tearDown()
 
     def test_solaris_enable_shared(self):
         dist = Distribution({'name': 'xx'})
@@ -99,6 +110,37 @@
         # make sur we get some lobrary dirs under solaris
         self.assert_(len(cmd.library_dirs) > 0)
 
+    def test_user_site(self):
+        # site.USER_SITE was introduced in 2.6
+        if sys.version < '2.6':
+            return
+
+        import site
+        dist = Distribution({'name': 'xx'})
+        cmd = build_ext(dist)
+
+        # making sure the suer option is there
+        options = [name for name, short, lable in
+                   cmd.user_options]
+        self.assert_('user' in options)
+
+        # setting a value
+        cmd.user = 1
+
+        # setting user based lib and include
+        lib = os.path.join(site.USER_BASE, 'lib')
+        incl = os.path.join(site.USER_BASE, 'include')
+        os.mkdir(lib)
+        os.mkdir(incl)
+
+        # let's run finalize
+        cmd.ensure_finalized()
+
+        # see if include_dirs and library_dirs
+        # were set
+        self.assert_(lib in cmd.library_dirs)
+        self.assert_(incl in cmd.include_dirs)
+
 def test_suite():
     src = _get_source_filename()
     if not os.path.exists(src):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py
index c834b91..9ceccf6 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install.py
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 """Tests for distutils.command.install."""
 
 import os
+import os.path
+import sys
 import unittest
+import site
 
 from distutils.command.install import install
+from distutils.command import install as install_module
+from distutils.command.install import INSTALL_SCHEMES
 from distutils.core import Distribution
 
 from distutils.tests import support
@@ -47,6 +52,65 @@
         check_path(cmd.install_scripts, os.path.join(destination, "bin"))
         check_path(cmd.install_data, destination)
 
+    def test_user_site(self):
+        # site.USER_SITE was introduced in 2.6
+        if sys.version < '2.6':
+            return
+
+        # preparing the environement for the test
+        self.old_user_base = site.USER_BASE
+        self.old_user_site = site.USER_SITE
+        self.tmpdir = self.mkdtemp()
+        self.user_base = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'B')
+        self.user_site = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'S')
+        site.USER_BASE = self.user_base
+        site.USER_SITE = self.user_site
+        install_module.USER_BASE = self.user_base
+        install_module.USER_SITE = self.user_site
+
+        def _expanduser(path):
+            return self.tmpdir
+        self.old_expand = os.path.expanduser
+        os.path.expanduser = _expanduser
+
+        try:
+            # this is the actual test
+            self._test_user_site()
+        finally:
+            site.USER_BASE = self.old_user_base
+            site.USER_SITE = self.old_user_site
+            install_module.USER_BASE = self.old_user_base
+            install_module.USER_SITE = self.old_user_site
+            os.path.expanduser = self.old_expand
+
+    def _test_user_site(self):
+        for key in ('nt_user', 'unix_user', 'os2_home'):
+            self.assert_(key in INSTALL_SCHEMES)
+
+        dist = Distribution({'name': 'xx'})
+        cmd = install(dist)
+
+        # making sure the user option is there
+        options = [name for name, short, lable in
+                   cmd.user_options]
+        self.assert_('user' in options)
+
+        # setting a value
+        cmd.user = 1
+
+        # user base and site shouldn't be created yet
+        self.assert_(not os.path.exists(self.user_base))
+        self.assert_(not os.path.exists(self.user_site))
+
+        # let's run finalize
+        cmd.ensure_finalized()
+
+        # now they should
+        self.assert_(os.path.exists(self.user_base))
+        self.assert_(os.path.exists(self.user_site))
+
+        self.assert_('userbase' in cmd.config_vars)
+        self.assert_('usersite' in cmd.config_vars)
 
 def test_suite():
     return unittest.makeSuite(InstallTestCase)