diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py.py
index 56ea0fea44a..bed8ca83285 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py.py
@@ -317,10 +317,10 @@ class FirstPartyDependencyVersionScheme(enum.Enum):
     ANY = "any"  # i.e., no specifier
 
 
-class PythonDistributionSubsystem(Subsystem):
-    """Options for packaging wheels/sdists from a `python_distribution` target."""
+class SetupPyGeneration(Subsystem):
+    """Options to control how setup.py is generated from a `python_distribution` target."""
 
-    options_scope = "python-distribution"
+    options_scope = "setup-py-generation"
 
     @classmethod
     def register_options(cls, register):
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ async def get_sources(request: SetupPySourcesRequest) -> SetupPySources:
 async def get_requirements(
     dep_owner: DependencyOwner,
     union_membership: UnionMembership,
-    python_distribution_subsystem: PythonDistributionSubsystem,
+    setup_py_generation: SetupPyGeneration,
 ) -> ExportedTargetRequirements:
     transitive_targets = await Get(
         TransitiveTargets, TransitiveTargetsRequest([dep_owner.exported_target.target.address])
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ async def get_requirements(
         Get(SetupKwargs, OwnedDependency(tgt)) for tgt in owned_by_others
     )
     req_strs.extend(
-        f"{kwargs.name}{python_distribution_subsystem.first_party_dependency_version(kwargs.version)}"
+        f"{kwargs.name}{setup_py_generation.first_party_dependency_version(kwargs.version)}"
         for kwargs in set(kwargs_for_exported_targets_we_depend_on)
     )
 
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py_test.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py_test.py
index 7672e268289..8391cf3523b 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py_test.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/goals/setup_py_test.py
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
     NoOwnerError,
     OwnedDependencies,
     OwnedDependency,
-    PythonDistributionSubsystem,
     SetupKwargs,
     SetupKwargsRequest,
     SetupPyChroot,
     SetupPyChrootRequest,
+    SetupPyGeneration,
     SetupPySources,
     SetupPySourcesRequest,
     declares_pkg_resources_namespace_package,
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def chroot_rule_runner() -> RuleRunner:
             get_exporting_owner,
             *python_sources.rules(),
             setup_kwargs_plugin,
-            SubsystemRule(PythonDistributionSubsystem),
+            SubsystemRule(SetupPyGeneration),
             UnionRule(SetupKwargsRequest, PluginSetupKwargsRequest),
             QueryRule(SetupPyChroot, (SetupPyChrootRequest,)),
         ]
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ def test_get_requirements() -> None:
             get_requirements,
             get_owned_dependencies,
             get_exporting_owner,
-            SubsystemRule(PythonDistributionSubsystem),
+            SubsystemRule(SetupPyGeneration),
             QueryRule(ExportedTargetRequirements, (DependencyOwner,)),
         ]
     )
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/target_types.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/target_types.py
index 508406c4efe..baccb7a9ab7 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/target_types.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/target_types.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def value_or_global_default(self, python_setup: PythonSetup) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
 class PexBinaryDefaults(Subsystem):
     """Default settings for creating PEX executables."""
 
-    options_scope = "pex-binary"
+    options_scope = "pex-binary-defaults"
     deprecated_options_scope = "python-binary"
     deprecated_options_scope_removal_version = "2.1.0.dev0"