diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish_release.yml b/.github/workflows/publish_release.yml
index cd3a31043..fd1a7c226 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish_release.yml
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-          pip install setuptools wheel twine
+          pip install build twine
       - name: Build and publish
         env:
           TWINE_USERNAME: __token__
           TWINE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.pypi_token }}
         run: |
-          python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
+          python -m build
           twine upload dist/*
 
   pr_dev_bump:
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62ccfa1ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# include license files
+include LICENSE
+recursive-include redbot *.LICENSE
+
+# include locale files
+recursive-include redbot locales/*.po
+
+# include data folders for cogs
+recursive-include redbot/**/data *
+
+# include *.export files from the test fixtures
+recursive-include redbot *.export
+
+# include the py.typed file informing about Red being typed
+recursive-include redbot py.typed
+
+# include *.sql files from postgres driver
+recursive-include redbot/core/drivers/postgres *.sql
+
+# include tests
+graft tests
+
+# include tox configuration
+include tox.ini
+
+# exclude files containing byte-code and compiled libs
+global-exclude *.py[cod]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 7eb4738da..0f95ce741 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+[build-system]
+    requires = ["setuptools", "wheel"]
+    build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
 [tool.black]
     line-length = 99
     target-version = ['py38']
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 362b2b6be..a1d185d97 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ classifiers =
     Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8
     Topic :: Communications :: Chat
+license_files =
+    LICENSE
+    redbot/**/*.LICENSE
 
 [options]
 packages = find_namespace:
 python_requires = >=3.8.1,<3.9
+include_package_data = True
 install_requires =
     aiohttp==3.7.3
     aiohttp-json-rpc==0.13.3
@@ -134,14 +138,3 @@ pytest11 =
 include =
     redbot
     redbot.*
-
-[options.package_data]
-* =
-    locales/*.po
-    **/locales/*.po
-    data/*
-    data/**/*
-    *.export
-    py.typed
-redbot.core.drivers.postgres =
-    *.sql