diff --git a/Lib/packaging/install.py b/Lib/packaging/install.py
--- a/Lib/packaging/install.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/install.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import shutil
 import logging
 import tempfile
-from sysconfig import get_config_var, get_path
+from sysconfig import get_config_var, get_path, is_python_build
 
 from packaging import logger
 from packaging.dist import Distribution
@@ -492,6 +492,12 @@
     purelib_path = get_path('purelib')
     # trying to write a file there
     try:
+        if is_python_build():
+            message = """You are running this from an uninstalled Python.
+This likely implies that you are trying to install a 3rd-party package
+without a working Python installation. That is unsupported."""
+            logger.info(message)
+            return False
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=project,
                                          dir=purelib_path) as testfile:
             testfile.write(b'test')