diff --git a/tools/provision b/tools/provision
index 7d5f276..34fb2a8 100755
--- a/tools/provision
+++ b/tools/provision
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ import warnings
 
 from importlib import import_module
 
+CURRENT_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+ZULIP_BOTS_DIR = os.path.join(CURRENT_DIR, '..', 'zulip_bots')
+sys.path.append(ZULIP_BOTS_DIR)
+
+import generate_manifest
+
 def main():
     usage = """./tools/provision
 
diff --git a/zulip_bots/generate_manifest.py b/zulip_bots/generate_manifest.py
index 0f09ef6..4b28705 100755
--- a/zulip_bots/generate_manifest.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/generate_manifest.py
@@ -3,11 +3,43 @@
 import argparse
 import os
 import glob
+import distutils.cmd
+import distutils.log
 
 CURRENT_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 BOTS_DIR = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(CURRENT_DIR, 'zulip_bots', 'bots'))
 MANIFEST_PATH = os.path.join(CURRENT_DIR, 'MANIFEST.in')
 
+class GenerateManifest(distutils.cmd.Command):
+    """
+    A custom setup.py command to generate a MANIFEST.in
+    for the zulip_bots package.
+    """
+    description = 'generate a MANIFEST.in for PyPA or for development'
+    user_options = [
+        ('release', None, 'generate a MANIFEST for a PyPA release'),
+    ]
+
+    def initialize_options(self):
+        self.release = False
+
+    def finalize_options(self):
+        pass
+
+    def run(self):
+        if self.release:
+            generate_release_manifest()
+            self.announce(
+                'Generating a MANIFEST for a PyPA release of zulip_bots.',
+                level=distutils.log.INFO
+            )
+        else:
+            generate_dev_manifest()
+            self.announce(
+                'Generating a MANIFEST for zulip_bots\' development.',
+                level=distutils.log.INFO
+            )
+
 def get_test_fixtures():
     # type: () -> List[str]
     glob_pattern = os.path.join(BOTS_DIR, '*', 'fixtures', '*.json')
diff --git a/zulip_bots/setup.py b/zulip_bots/setup.py
index f0d7e0b..974c151 100755
--- a/zulip_bots/setup.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/setup.py
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 
 import sys
 
-# Before anything, generate MANIFEST.in
 import generate_manifest
-generate_manifest.generate_dev_manifest()
 
 # We should be installable with either setuptools or distutils.
 package_info = dict(
@@ -31,6 +29,9 @@ package_info = dict(
         ],
     },
     include_package_data=True,
+    cmdclass={
+        'gen_manifest': generate_manifest.GenerateManifest,
+    },
 )  # type: Dict[str, Any]
 
 setuptools_info = dict(