--- Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
+++ Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
@@ -418,6 +418,10 @@
 
 
     def byte_compile (self, files):
+        if os.environ.get("PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE") is not None:
+            self.warn('byte-compiling is disabled, skipping.')
+            return
+
         from distutils.util import byte_compile
         prefix = self.build_lib
         if prefix[-1] != os.sep:
--- Lib/distutils/command/install_lib.py
+++ Lib/distutils/command/install_lib.py
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@
         return outfiles
 
     def byte_compile (self, files):
+        if os.environ.get("PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE") is not None:
+            self.warn('byte-compiling is disabled, skipping.')
+            return
+
         from distutils.util import byte_compile
 
         # Get the "--root" directory supplied to the "install" command,
--- Lib/distutils/errors.py
+++ Lib/distutils/errors.py
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@
 class DistutilsTemplateError (DistutilsError):
     """Syntax error in a file list template."""
 
+class DistutilsByteCompileError(DistutilsError):
+    """Byte compile error."""
 
 # Exception classes used by the CCompiler implementation classes
 class CCompilerError (Exception):