diff --git a/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/setup_app.sh b/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/setup_app.sh
index eae3ae058..7d801e65d 100755
--- a/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/setup_app.sh
+++ b/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/setup_app.sh
@@ -48,16 +48,13 @@ fi
 pip install dmgbuild==1.1.0
 export PATH=${PATH}:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin
 
-pip install jsonrpc certifi
-
-# the default py2app (v0.9) has a bug that is fixed in the head of /metachris/py2app
-pip install git+https://github.com/metachris/py2app
+# pyopenssl is needed because OSX ships an old version of openssl by default
+# and python will use it without pyopenssl
+pip install PyOpenSSL jsonrpc certifi
 
 NAME=`python setup.py --name`
 VERSION=`python setup.py -V`
 pip install -r requirements.txt
-# not totally sure if pyOpenSSl is needed (JIE)
-pip install pyOpenSSL
 
 pip install pylint
 pylint -E --disable=inherit-non-class --disable=no-member --ignored-modules=distutils \
@@ -77,7 +74,10 @@ codesign -s "${LBRY_DEVELOPER_ID}" -f "${DEST}/dist/LBRYURIHandler.app/Contents/
 codesign --deep -s "${LBRY_DEVELOPER_ID}" -f "${DEST}/dist/LBRYURIHandler.app/Contents/MacOS/LBRYURIHandler"
 codesign -vvvv "${DEST}/dist/LBRYURIHandler.app"
 
-python setup_app.py py2app
+# py2app will skip _cffi_backend without explicitly including it
+# and without this, we will get SSL handshake errors when connecting
+# to bittrex
+python setup_app.py py2app -i _cffi_backend
 
 echo "Removing i386 libraries"