diff --git a/fabfile.py b/fabfile.py
index 2894fe477..c8ca9dc64 100644
--- a/fabfile.py
+++ b/fabfile.py
@@ -1,14 +1,36 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, print_function
 
+import contextlib
+from pathlib import Path
 from fabric.api import local, lcd, env, settings, prefix
-from fabtools.python import virtualenv
 from os import path, environ
 
 
 PWD = path.dirname(__file__)
 ENV = environ['VENV_DIR'] if 'VENV_DIR' in environ else '.env'
-VENV_DIR = path.join(PWD, ENV)
+VENV_DIR = Path(PWD) / ENV
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def virtualenv(name, create=False, python='/usr/bin/python3.6'):
+    python = Path(python).resolve()
+    env_path = VENV_DIR
+    if create:
+        if env_path.exists():
+            shutil.rmtree(str(env_path))
+        local('{python} -m venv {env_path}'.format(python=python,
+                                                   env_path=VENV_DIR))
+    def wrapped_local(cmd, env_vars=[]):
+        env_py = env_path / 'bin' / 'python'
+        env_vars = ' '.join(env_vars)
+        if cmd.split()[0] == 'python':
+            cmd = cmd.replace('python', str(env_py))
+            return local(env_vars + ' ' + cmd)
+        else:
+            return local('{env_vars} {env_py} -m {cmd}'.format(
+                    env_py=env_py, cmd=cmd, env_vars=env_vars))
+    yield wrapped_local
 
 
 def env(lang='python2.7'):
@@ -19,31 +41,39 @@ def env(lang='python2.7'):
 
 
 def install():
-    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR):
-        local('pip install --upgrade setuptools')
-        local('pip install dist/*.tar.gz')
-        local('pip install pytest')
+    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
+        venv_local('pip install --upgrade setuptools')
+        venv_local('pip install dist/*.tar.gz')
+        venv_local('pip install pytest')
 
 
 def make():
-    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR):
-        with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
-            local('pip install cython')
-            local('pip install murmurhash')
-            local('pip install -r requirements.txt')
-            local('python setup.py build_ext --inplace')
+    with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+        with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
+            venv_local('pip install cython')
+            venv_local('pip install murmurhash')
+            venv_local('pip install -r requirements.txt')
+            venv_local('python setup.py build_ext --inplace')
 
 def sdist():
-    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR):
-        with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+    with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+        with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
             local('python setup.py sdist')
 
-def clean():
+def wheel():
     with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
-        local('python setup.py clean --all')
+        with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
+            venv_local('pip install wheel')
+            venv_local('python setup.py bdist_wheel')
+
+
+def clean():
+    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
+        with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+            local('python setup.py clean --all')
 
 
 def test():
-    with virtualenv(VENV_DIR):
-        with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+    with lcd(path.dirname(__file__)):
+        with virtualenv(VENV_DIR) as venv_local:
             local('py.test -x spacy/tests')