diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index cfe9ae63d..a718f3361 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,26 +1,35 @@
 import os
 from setuptools import setup
 
-exec(open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'src', 'rosdep2', '_version.py')).read())
-
-setup(
-    name='rosdep',
-    version=__version__,  # noqa:F821
-    packages=['rosdep2', 'rosdep2.ament_packages', 'rosdep2.platforms'],
-    package_dir={'': 'src'},
-    install_requires=['catkin_pkg >= 0.4.0', 'rospkg >= 1.1.10', 'rosdistro >= 0.7.5', 'PyYAML >= 3.1'],
-    test_suite='nose.collector',
-    test_requires=['mock', 'nose >= 1.0'],
-    scripts=['scripts/rosdep', 'scripts/rosdep-source'],
-    author='Tully Foote, Ken Conley',
-    author_email='tfoote@osrfoundation.org',
-    url='http://wiki.ros.org/rosdep',
-    keywords=['ROS'],
-    classifiers=[
+kwargs = {
+    'name': 'rosdep',
+    # same version as in:
+    # - src/rosdep2/__init__.py
+    # - stdeb.cfg
+    'version': '0.18.0',
+    'packages': ['rosdep2', 'rosdep2.ament_packages', 'rosdep2.platforms'],
+    'package_dir': {'': 'src'},
+    'install_requires': ['catkin_pkg >= 0.4.0', 'rospkg >= 1.1.10', 'rosdistro >= 0.7.5', 'PyYAML >= 3.1'],
+    'test_suite': 'nose.collector',
+    'test_requires': ['mock', 'nose >= 1.0'],
+    'scripts': ['scripts/rosdep', 'scripts/rosdep-source'],
+    'author': 'Tully Foote, Ken Conley',
+    'author_email': 'tfoote@osrfoundation.org',
+    'url': 'http://wiki.ros.org/rosdep',
+    'keywords': ['ROS'],
+    'classifiers': [
         'Programming Language :: Python',
         'License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License'],
-    description='rosdep package manager abstraction tool for ROS',
-    long_description='Command-line tool for installing system '
-                     'dependencies on a variety of platforms.',
-    license='BSD'
-)
+    'description': 'rosdep package manager abstraction tool for ROS',
+    'long_description': 'Command-line tool for installing system '
+                        'dependencies on a variety of platforms.',
+    'license': 'BSD',
+}
+if 'SKIP_PYTHON_MODULES' in os.environ:
+    kwargs['packages'] = []
+    kwargs['package_dir'] = {}
+if 'SKIP_PYTHON_SCRIPTS' in os.environ:
+    kwargs['name'] += '_modules'
+    kwargs['scripts'] = {}
+
+setup(**kwargs)
diff --git a/src/rosdep2/_version.py b/src/rosdep2/_version.py
index cbe8c741e..ff1406e8d 100644
--- a/src/rosdep2/_version.py
+++ b/src/rosdep2/_version.py
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-__version__ = '0.17.1'
+# same version as in:
+# - setup.py
+# - stdeb.cfg
+__version__ = '0.18.0'
diff --git a/stdeb.cfg b/stdeb.cfg
index 7185cf761..2a74683e4 100644
--- a/stdeb.cfg
+++ b/stdeb.cfg
@@ -1,8 +1,27 @@
-[DEFAULT]
-Depends: ca-certificates, python-rospkg (>= 1.1.10), python-yaml, python-catkin-pkg (>= 0.4.0), python-rosdistro (>= 0.7.5), sudo
-Depends3: ca-certificates, python3-rospkg (>= 1.1.10), python3-yaml, python3-catkin-pkg (>= 0.4.0), python3-rosdistro (>= 0.7.5), sudo
+[rosdep]
+; rosdep-modules same version as in:
+; - setup.py
+; - src/rosdep2/_version.py
+Depends: python-rosdep-modules (>= 0.18.0)
+; rosdep-modules same version as in:
+; - setup.py
+; - src/rosdep2/_version.py
+Depends3: python3-rosdep-modules (>= 0.18.0)
 Conflicts: python3-rosdep, python-rosdep2, python3-rosdep2
 Conflicts3: python-rosdep, python-rosdep2, python3-rosdep2
 Copyright-File: LICENSE
 Suite: xenial yakkety zesty artful bionic cosmic disco eoan jessie stretch buster
 X-Python3-Version: >= 3.4
+Setup-Env-Vars: SKIP_PYTHON_MODULES=1
+
+[rosdep_modules]
+Depends: ca-certificates, python-rospkg (>= 1.1.10), python-yaml, python-catkin-pkg (>= 0.4.0), python-rosdistro (>= 0.7.5), sudo
+Depends3: ca-certificates, python3-rospkg (>= 1.1.10), python3-yaml, python3-catkin-pkg (>= 0.4.0), python3-rosdistro (>= 0.7.5), sudo
+Conflicts: python-rosdep (<< 0.18.0), python-rosdep2
+Conflicts3: python3-rosdep (<< 0.18.0), python3-rosdep2
+Replaces: python-rosdep (<< 0.18.0)
+Replaces3: python3-rosdep (<< 0.18.0)
+Copyright-File: LICENSE
+Suite: xenial yakkety zesty artful bionic cosmic disco eoan jessie stretch buster
+X-Python3-Version: >= 3.4
+Setup-Env-Vars: SKIP_PYTHON_SCRIPTS=1