diff --git a/components/polylith/distributions/collect.py b/components/polylith/distributions/collect.py
index c4c95f32..42c3d68d 100644
--- a/components/polylith/distributions/collect.py
+++ b/components/polylith/distributions/collect.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import importlib.metadata
 from typing import Set
 
 from polylith import alias
 from polylith.distributions.core import (
     distributions_packages,
     distributions_sub_packages,
+    get_distributions,
+    get_packages_distributions,
 )
 
 
@@ -12,13 +13,13 @@ def known_aliases_and_sub_dependencies(deps: dict, library_alias: list) -> Set[s
     """Collect known aliases (packages) for third-party libraries.
 
     When the library origin is not from a lock-file:
-    collect sub-dependencies for each library, and append to the result.
+    collect sub-dependencies and distribution top-namespace for each library, and append to the result.
     """
 
     third_party_libs = {k for k, _v in deps["items"].items()}
     lock_file = str.endswith(deps["source"], ".lock")
 
-    dists = list(importlib.metadata.distributions())
+    dists = get_distributions()
 
     dist_packages = distributions_packages(dists)
     custom_aliases = alias.parse(library_alias)
@@ -28,4 +29,6 @@ def known_aliases_and_sub_dependencies(deps: dict, library_alias: list) -> Set[s
     b = alias.pick(custom_aliases, third_party_libs)
     c = alias.pick(sub_deps, third_party_libs)
 
-    return third_party_libs.union(a, b, c)
+    d = get_packages_distributions(third_party_libs) if not lock_file else set()
+
+    return third_party_libs.union(a, b, c, d)
diff --git a/components/polylith/distributions/core.py b/components/polylith/distributions/core.py
index 29e71e9b..6886d540 100644
--- a/components/polylith/distributions/core.py
+++ b/components/polylith/distributions/core.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 from functools import reduce
 from typing import Dict, List
 
-
 SUB_DEP_SEPARATORS = r"[\s!=;><\^~]"
 
 
@@ -53,7 +52,25 @@ def distributions_sub_packages(dists) -> Dict[str, List[str]]:
     return reduce(map_sub_packages, dists, {})
 
 
-def get_distributions(project_dependencies: set) -> list:
-    dists = importlib.metadata.distributions()
+def get_distributions() -> list:
+    return list(importlib.metadata.distributions())
+
+
+def get_packages_distributions(project_dependencies: set) -> set:
+    """Return the mapped top namespace from an import
+
+    Example:
+    A third-party library, such as opentelemetry-instrumentation-fastapi.
+    The return value would be the mapped top namespace: opentelemetry
+
+    Note: available for Python >= 3.10
+    """
+
+    # added in Python 3.10
+    fn = getattr(importlib.metadata, "packages_distributions", None)
+
+    dists = fn() if fn else {}
+
+    common = {k for k, v in dists.items() if project_dependencies.intersection(set(v))}
 
-    return [dist for dist in dists if dist.metadata["name"] in project_dependencies]
+    return common.difference(project_dependencies)
diff --git a/projects/poetry_polylith_plugin/pyproject.toml b/projects/poetry_polylith_plugin/pyproject.toml
index 288a25a6..cc96cf56 100644
--- a/projects/poetry_polylith_plugin/pyproject.toml
+++ b/projects/poetry_polylith_plugin/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "poetry-polylith-plugin"
-version = "1.20.1"
+version = "1.21.0"
 description = "A Poetry plugin that adds tooling support for the Polylith Architecture"
 authors = ["David Vujic"]
 homepage = "https://davidvujic.github.io/python-polylith-docs/"
diff --git a/projects/polylith_cli/pyproject.toml b/projects/polylith_cli/pyproject.toml
index b4274971..afa4c055 100644
--- a/projects/polylith_cli/pyproject.toml
+++ b/projects/polylith_cli/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "polylith-cli"
-version = "1.7.1"
+version = "1.8.0"
 description = "Python tooling support for the Polylith Architecture"
 authors = ['David Vujic']
 homepage = "https://davidvujic.github.io/python-polylith-docs/"
diff --git a/test/components/polylith/distributions/test_core.py b/test/components/polylith/distributions/test_core.py
index fb02b896..a0e0a3f5 100644
--- a/test/components/polylith/distributions/test_core.py
+++ b/test/components/polylith/distributions/test_core.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import importlib.metadata
+import sys
 
+import pytest
 from polylith import distributions
 
 
@@ -40,3 +42,39 @@ def test_distribution_sub_packages():
 
     assert res.get(expected_dist) is not None
     assert expected_sub_package in res[expected_dist]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info < (3, 10), reason="requires python3.10 or higher")
+def test_package_distributions_returning_top_namespace(monkeypatch):
+    fake_dists = {
+        "something": ["something-subnamespace"],
+        "opentelemetry": ["opentelemetry-instrumentation-fastapi"],
+        "google": ["google-cloud-storage", "google-api-core"],
+        "other": ["other-sub-ns"],
+    }
+
+    fake_project_deps = {
+        "opentelemetry-instrumentation-fastapi",
+        "fastapi",
+        "something-subnamespace",
+        "google-cloud-storage",
+    }
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        distributions.core.importlib.metadata,
+        "packages_distributions",
+        lambda: fake_dists,
+    )
+
+    res = distributions.core.get_packages_distributions(fake_project_deps)
+
+    assert res == {"google", "opentelemetry", "something"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info > (3, 9), reason="asserting python3.9 and lower")
+def test_package_distributions_returning_empty_set():
+    fake_project_deps = {"something-subnamespace"}
+
+    res = distributions.core.get_packages_distributions(fake_project_deps)
+
+    assert res == set()