diff --git a/docs/changelog/1887.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog/1887.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..388f37a43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/1887.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Upgrade embedded setuptools from ``47.3.1`` to ``49.1.0`` for Python ``3.5+`` - by :user:`gaborbernat`.
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/__init__.py b/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/__init__.py
index d118754dc..bc95df627 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/__init__.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/__init__.py
@@ -7,32 +7,32 @@
 BUNDLE_SUPPORT = {
     "3.10": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.9": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.8": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.7": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.6": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.5": {
         "pip": "pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.4": {
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl b/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
similarity index 56%
rename from src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl
rename to src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
index 52872de30..597198cd4 100644
Binary files a/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-47.3.1-py3-none-any.whl and b/src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/setuptools-49.1.0-py3-none-any.whl differ