diff -Naur grpc-1.26.0-original/src/python/grpcio_tests/setup.py grpc-1.26.0/src/python/grpcio_tests/setup.py
--- grpc-1.26.0-original/src/python/grpcio_tests/setup.py	2019-12-17 20:29:27.000000000 -0500
+++ grpc-1.26.0/src/python/grpcio_tests/setup.py	2021-02-02 10:12:54.881753347 -0500
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@
 
 import setuptools
 
-import grpc_tools.command
+try:
+    from grpc_tools.command import BuildPackageProtos
+except ImportError:
+    if not os.environ.get('GRPCIO_TESTS_IGNORE_MISSING_TOOLS'):
+        raise
+    BuildPackageProtos = None
 
 PY3 = sys.version_info.major == 3
 
@@ -52,7 +57,6 @@
 COMMAND_CLASS = {
     # Run `preprocess` *before* doing any packaging!
     'preprocess': commands.GatherProto,
-    'build_package_protos': grpc_tools.command.BuildPackageProtos,
     'build_py': commands.BuildPy,
     'run_fork': commands.RunFork,
     'run_interop': commands.RunInterop,
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@
     'test_gevent': commands.TestGevent,
     'test_aio': commands.TestAio,
 }
+if BuildPackageProtos is not None:
+    COMMAND_CLASS['build_package_protos'] = BuildPackageProtos
 
 PACKAGE_DATA = {
     'tests.interop': [