diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 91358af9b61..6546544a99d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1154,18 +1154,16 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
 
     def detect_socket(self):
         # socket(2)
-        if not VXWORKS:
-            kwargs = {'depends': ['socketmodule.h']}
-            if MACOS:
-                # Issue #35569: Expose RFC 3542 socket options.
-                kwargs['extra_compile_args'] = ['-D__APPLE_USE_RFC_3542']
+        kwargs = {'depends': ['socketmodule.h']}
+        if VXWORKS:
+            if not self.compiler.find_library_file(self.lib_dirs, 'net'):
+                return
+            kwargs['libraries'] = ['net']
+        elif MACOS:
+            # Issue #35569: Expose RFC 3542 socket options.
+            kwargs['extra_compile_args'] = ['-D__APPLE_USE_RFC_3542']
 
-            self.add(Extension('_socket', ['socketmodule.c'], **kwargs))
-        elif self.compiler.find_library_file(self.lib_dirs, 'net'):
-            libs = ['net']
-            self.add(Extension('_socket', ['socketmodule.c'],
-                               depends=['socketmodule.h'],
-                               libraries=libs))
+        self.add(Extension('_socket', ['socketmodule.c'], **kwargs))
 
     def detect_dbm_gdbm(self):
         # Modules that provide persistent dictionary-like semantics.  You will