diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py b/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
index 0adeb3229b0..99edfa08187 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
@@ -644,10 +644,8 @@ def _generate_file(path, **kwargs):
             pass
         generated.append(requested_path)
 
-    # Record details of all files installed
-    record_path = os.path.join(dest_info_dir, 'RECORD')
-    with open(record_path, **csv_io_kwargs('r')) as record_file:
-        record_rows = list(csv.reader(record_file))
+    record_text = distribution.get_metadata('RECORD')
+    record_rows = list(csv.reader(record_text.splitlines()))
 
     rows = get_csv_rows_for_installed(
         record_rows,
@@ -656,6 +654,9 @@ def _generate_file(path, **kwargs):
         generated=generated,
         lib_dir=lib_dir)
 
+    # Record details of all files installed
+    record_path = os.path.join(dest_info_dir, 'RECORD')
+
     with _generate_file(record_path, **csv_io_kwargs('w')) as record_file:
         # The type mypy infers for record_file is different for Python 3
         # (typing.IO[Any]) and Python 2 (typing.BinaryIO). We explicitly