diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-mingw.yml b/.github/workflows/test-mingw.yml
index a109ec0d8b5..5a737a1ee89 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-mingw.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-mingw.yml
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ jobs:
           pushd depends && ./install_extra_test_images.sh && popd
 
       - name: Build Pillow
-        run: SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS="stdlib" CFLAGS="-coverage" python3 -m pip install --global-option="build_ext" .
+        run: SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS="stdlib" CFLAGS="-coverage" python3 -m pip install .
 
       - name: Test Pillow
         run: |
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index f51551303f6..606e7e074aa 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ graft src
 graft depends
 graft winbuild
 graft docs
+graft _custom_build
 
 # build/src control detritus
 exclude .appveyor.yml
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e41f3641108..57d756b47e3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ help:
 	@echo "  docserve           run an HTTP server on the docs directory"
 	@echo "  html               make HTML docs"
 	@echo "  htmlview           open the index page built by the html target in your browser"
-	@echo "  inplace            make inplace extension"
 	@echo "  install            make and install"
 	@echo "  install-coverage   make and install with C coverage"
 	@echo "  lint               run the lint checks"
@@ -54,10 +53,6 @@ help:
 	@echo "  release-test       run code and package tests before release"
 	@echo "  test               run tests on installed Pillow"
 
-.PHONY: inplace
-inplace: clean
-	python3 -m pip install -e --global-option="build_ext" --global-option="--inplace" .
-
 .PHONY: install
 install:
 	python3 -m pip -v install .
@@ -65,7 +60,7 @@ install:
 
 .PHONY: install-coverage
 install-coverage:
-	CFLAGS="-coverage -Werror=implicit-function-declaration" python3 -m pip -v install --global-option="build_ext" .
+	CFLAGS="-coverage -Werror=implicit-function-declaration" python3 -m pip -v install .
 	python3 selftest.py
 
 .PHONY: debug
@@ -74,7 +69,7 @@ debug:
 # for our stuff, kills optimization, and redirects to dev null so we
 # see any build failures.
 	make clean > /dev/null
-	CFLAGS='-g -O0' python3 -m pip -v install --global-option="build_ext" . > /dev/null
+	CFLAGS='-g -O0' python3 -m pip -v install . > /dev/null
 
 .PHONY: release-test
 release-test:
diff --git a/_custom_build/backend.py b/_custom_build/backend.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..9b3265a949f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_custom_build/backend.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import sys
+
+from setuptools.build_meta import *  # noqa: F401, F403
+from setuptools.build_meta import build_wheel
+
+backend_class = build_wheel.__self__.__class__
+
+
+class _CustomBuildMetaBackend(backend_class):
+    def run_setup(self, setup_script="setup.py"):
+        if self.config_settings:
+
+            def config_has(key, value):
+                settings = self.config_settings.get(key)
+                if settings:
+                    if not isinstance(settings, list):
+                        settings = [settings]
+                    return value in settings
+
+            flags = []
+            for dependency in (
+                "zlib",
+                "jpeg",
+                "tiff",
+                "freetype",
+                "raqm",
+                "lcms",
+                "webp",
+                "webpmux",
+                "jpeg2000",
+                "imagequant",
+                "xcb",
+            ):
+                if config_has(dependency, "enable"):
+                    flags.append("--enable-" + dependency)
+                elif config_has(dependency, "disable"):
+                    flags.append("--disable-" + dependency)
+            for dependency in ("raqm", "fribidi"):
+                if config_has(dependency, "vendor"):
+                    flags.append("--vendor-" + dependency)
+            if self.config_settings.get("platform-guessing") == "disable":
+                flags.append("--disable-platform-guessing")
+            if self.config_settings.get("debug") == "true":
+                flags.append("--debug")
+            if flags:
+                sys.argv = sys.argv[:1] + ["build_ext"] + flags + sys.argv[1:]
+        return super().run_setup(setup_script)
+
+    def build_wheel(
+        self, wheel_directory, config_settings=None, metadata_directory=None
+    ):
+        self.config_settings = config_settings
+        return super().build_wheel(wheel_directory, config_settings, metadata_directory)
+
+
+build_wheel = _CustomBuildMetaBackend().build_wheel
diff --git a/docs/installation.rst b/docs/installation.rst
index ad27b67eeaf..6720d2dce6b 100644
--- a/docs/installation.rst
+++ b/docs/installation.rst
@@ -380,40 +380,40 @@ Build Options
   using a setting of 1. By default, it uses 4 CPUs, or if 4 are not
   available, as many as are present.
 
-* Build flags: ``--disable-zlib``, ``--disable-jpeg``,
-  ``--disable-tiff``, ``--disable-freetype``, ``--disable-raqm``,
-  ``--disable-lcms``, ``--disable-webp``, ``--disable-webpmux``,
-  ``--disable-jpeg2000``, ``--disable-imagequant``, ``--disable-xcb``.
+* Config settings: ``-C zlib=disable``, ``-C jpeg=disable``,
+  ``-C tiff=disable``, ``-C freetype=disable``, ``-C raqm=disable``,
+  ``-C lcms=disable``, ``-C webp=disable``, ``-C webpmux=disable``,
+  ``-C jpeg2000=disable``, ``-C imagequant=disable``, ``-C xcb=disable``.
   Disable building the corresponding feature even if the development
   libraries are present on the building machine.
 
-* Build flags: ``--enable-zlib``, ``--enable-jpeg``,
-  ``--enable-tiff``, ``--enable-freetype``, ``--enable-raqm``,
-  ``--enable-lcms``, ``--enable-webp``, ``--enable-webpmux``,
-  ``--enable-jpeg2000``, ``--enable-imagequant``, ``--enable-xcb``.
+* Config settings: ``-C zlib=enable``, ``-C jpeg=enable``,
+  ``-C tiff=enable``, ``-C freetype=enable``, ``-C raqm=enable``,
+  ``-C lcms=enable``, ``-C webp=enable``, ``-C webpmux=enable``,
+  ``-C jpeg2000=enable``, ``-C imagequant=enable``, ``-C xcb=enable``.
   Require that the corresponding feature is built. The build will raise
   an exception if the libraries are not found. Webpmux (WebP metadata)
   relies on WebP support. Tcl and Tk also must be used together.
 
-* Build flags: ``--vendor-raqm``, ``--vendor-fribidi``.
+* Config settings: ``-C raqm=vendor``, ``-C fribidi=vendor``.
   These flags are used to compile a modified version of libraqm and
   a shim that dynamically loads libfribidi at runtime. These are
   used to compile the standard Pillow wheels. Compiling libraqm requires
   a C99-compliant compiler.
 
-* Build flag: ``--disable-platform-guessing``. Skips all of the
+* Build flag: ``-C platform-guessing=disable``. Skips all of the
   platform dependent guessing of include and library directories for
   automated build systems that configure the proper paths in the
   environment variables (e.g. Buildroot).
 
-* Build flag: ``--debug``. Adds a debugging flag to the include and
+* Build flag: ``-C debug=true``. Adds a debugging flag to the include and
   library search process to dump all paths searched for and found to
   stdout.
 
 
 Sample usage::
 
-    python3 -m pip install --upgrade Pillow --global-option="build_ext" --global-option="--enable-[feature]"
+    python3 -m pip install --upgrade Pillow -C [feature]=enable
 
 Platform Support
 ----------------
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf31b6407ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools >= 40.8.0", "wheel"]
+build-backend = "backend"
+backend-path = ["_custom_build"]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 458a0010734..a79089f5177 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ extras =
     tests
 commands =
     make clean
-    {envpython} -m pip install --global-option="build_ext" --global-option="--inplace" .
+    {envpython} -m pip install .
     {envpython} selftest.py
     {envpython} -m pytest -W always {posargs}
 allowlist_externals =