diff --git a/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package.spec b/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package.spec
index 30edb09..ddceb2b 100644
--- a/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package.spec
+++ b/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package.spec
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 Name:           ros-%{ros_distro}-ament-cmake-vendor-package
 Version:        2.8.8
-Release:        1%{?dist}
+Release:        2%{?dist}
 Summary:        ROS 2 Lyrical ament_cmake_vendor_package
 
 License:        Apache-2.0
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ BuildRequires:  ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-export-dependencies
 
 Requires:       git
 Requires:       python3-vcstool
+# vcstool imports pkg_resources, which Fedora 45+ ships as a separate
+# python3-pkg-resources package (setuptools 83 no longer carries it) and
+# python3-vcstool does not require it. Every vendor package (gz_*_vendor,
+# rviz_ogre_vendor, spdlog_vendor) runs vcs during its build, so pull it in
+# here. Fedora 44 and CentOS Stream 10 still get pkg_resources from setuptools.
+%if 0%{?fedora} >= 45
+Requires:       python3-pkg-resources
+%endif
 Requires:       ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-core
 Requires:       ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-export-dependencies
 
@@ -93,6 +101,10 @@ echo 'tests skipped (see CLAUDE.md / packages.yaml)'
 
 
 %changelog
+* Thu Oct 09 2026 Nick Schuetz <nschuetz@redhat.com> - 2.8.8-2
+- Require python3-pkg-resources on Fedora 45+. vcstool needs pkg_resources,
+  which setuptools 83 no longer ships and python3-vcstool does not require.
+
 * Tue Aug 25 2026 Nick Schuetz <nschuetz@redhat.com> - 2.8.8-1
 - Sync with upstream lyrical: 2.8.8.
 
diff --git a/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-rviz-ogre-vendor.spec b/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-rviz-ogre-vendor.spec
index e0d0878..15e10af 100644
--- a/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-rviz-ogre-vendor.spec
+++ b/specs/lyrical/ros-lyrical-rviz-ogre-vendor.spec
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ BuildRequires:  libXaw-devel
 BuildRequires:  libXrandr-devel
 BuildRequires:  mesa-libGL-devel mesa-libGLU-devel
 BuildRequires:  python3-devel
-# ogre_vendor's ExternalProject download/configure helper imports pkg_resources;
-# on Fedora rawhide (fc45) it is no longer pulled in transitively, so require
-# setuptools explicitly. Harmless on fedora-44 and centos-stream-10.
+# ogre_vendor's ExternalProject download runs vcstool, which imports
+# pkg_resources. On Fedora 44 and CentOS Stream 10 that comes from setuptools;
+# on Fedora 45+ it is the separate python3-pkg-resources package, pulled in by
+# ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package.
 BuildRequires:  python3-setuptools
 BuildRequires:  ros-lyrical-ament-cmake
 BuildRequires:  ros-lyrical-ament-cmake-vendor-package