diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 50f75909..bebc0c88 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module(
 
 # Do not update to newer versions until you need a specific new feature.
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_license", version = "0.0.7")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "0.31.0")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "0.34.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.4.2")
 
 # Only for development
diff --git a/distro/packaging_test.py b/distro/packaging_test.py
index 38c34c85..b7c8022d 100644
--- a/distro/packaging_test.py
+++ b/distro/packaging_test.py
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ def testBuild(self):
             'file://%s' % local_path, self.source_repo, sha256,
             rename_repo=self.dest_repo,
             deps_method='rules_pkg_dependencies'
-        )
+        ),
+        release_tools.rules_python_internal_content()
       ))
       workspace.write(workspace_content)
       if _VERBOSE:
@@ -90,7 +91,6 @@ def CopyTestFile(source_name, dest_name):
           out.write(content)
 
     CopyTestFile('BUILD.tpl', 'BUILD')
-
     os.chdir(tempdir)
     build_result = subprocess.check_output(['bazel', 'build', ':dummy_tar'])
     if _VERBOSE:
diff --git a/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE b/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE
index 0e5b0d9d..44fc49b3 100644
--- a/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE
+++ b/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ local_repository(
 load("@rules_pkg//pkg:deps.bzl", "rules_pkg_dependencies")
 
 rules_pkg_dependencies()
+load("@rules_python//:internal_deps.bzl", "rules_python_internal_deps")
+rules_python_internal_deps()
+load("@rules_python//:internal_setup.bzl", "rules_python_internal_setup")
+rules_python_internal_setup()
 
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_cc",
diff --git a/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE.bzlmod b/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
index ac785ffd..350638e2 100644
--- a/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
+++ b/examples/naming_package_files/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
@@ -6,3 +6,11 @@ local_repository(
 load("@rules_pkg//pkg:deps.bzl", "rules_pkg_dependencies")
 
 rules_pkg_dependencies()
+
+load("@rules_python//:internal_deps.bzl", "rules_python_internal_deps")
+
+rules_python_internal_deps()
+
+load("@rules_python//:internal_setup.bzl", "rules_python_internal_setup")
+
+rules_python_internal_setup()
diff --git a/examples/rich_structure/WORKSPACE b/examples/rich_structure/WORKSPACE
index 49865945..7ad681f4 100644
--- a/examples/rich_structure/WORKSPACE
+++ b/examples/rich_structure/WORKSPACE
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ load("@rules_pkg//pkg:deps.bzl", "rules_pkg_dependencies")
 
 rules_pkg_dependencies()
 
+load("@rules_python//:internal_deps.bzl", "rules_python_internal_deps")
+rules_python_internal_deps()
+load("@rules_python//:internal_setup.bzl", "rules_python_internal_setup")
+rules_python_internal_setup()
+
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_cc",
     sha256 = "2037875b9a4456dce4a79d112a8ae885bbc4aad968e6587dca6e64f3a0900cdf",
diff --git a/examples/time_stamping/WORKSPACE b/examples/time_stamping/WORKSPACE
index d170970e..a0a34ed1 100644
--- a/examples/time_stamping/WORKSPACE
+++ b/examples/time_stamping/WORKSPACE
@@ -22,3 +22,8 @@ local_repository(
 load("@rules_pkg//pkg:deps.bzl", "rules_pkg_dependencies")
 
 rules_pkg_dependencies()
+
+load("@rules_python//:internal_deps.bzl", "rules_python_internal_deps")
+rules_python_internal_deps()
+load("@rules_python//:internal_setup.bzl", "rules_python_internal_setup")
+rules_python_internal_setup()
diff --git a/pkg/deps.bzl b/pkg/deps.bzl
index 1fecfbfb..2ccb2f1b 100644
--- a/pkg/deps.bzl
+++ b/pkg/deps.bzl
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ def rules_pkg_dependencies():
 
     http_archive(
         name = "rules_python",
-        sha256 = "0a8003b044294d7840ac7d9d73eef05d6ceb682d7516781a4ec62eeb34702578",
-        strip_prefix = "rules_python-0.24.0",
-        url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_python/releases/download/0.24.0/rules_python-0.24.0.tar.gz",
+        sha256 = "778aaeab3e6cfd56d681c89f5c10d7ad6bf8d2f1a72de9de55b23081b2d31618",
+        strip_prefix = "rules_python-0.34.0",
+        url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_python/releases/download/0.34.0/rules_python-0.34.0.tar.gz",
     )
 
     http_archive(
diff --git a/pkg/releasing/release_tools.py b/pkg/releasing/release_tools.py
index 52440de4..70c0f93d 100644
--- a/pkg/releasing/release_tools.py
+++ b/pkg/releasing/release_tools.py
@@ -101,3 +101,10 @@ def workspace_content(
     ret += '%s()\n' % m
 
   return ret
+
+def rules_python_internal_content():
+  ret = 'load("@rules_python//:internal_deps.bzl", "rules_python_internal_deps")'
+  ret += '\n\nrules_python_internal_deps()\n'
+  ret += 'load("@rules_python//:internal_setup.bzl", "rules_python_internal_setup")'
+  ret += '\n\nrules_python_internal_setup()\n'
+  return ret