diff --git a/colcon_core/package_identification/python.py b/colcon_core/package_identification/python.py
index 9d5e467b..0b11c8aa 100644
--- a/colcon_core/package_identification/python.py
+++ b/colcon_core/package_identification/python.py
@@ -90,11 +90,17 @@ def get_configuration(setup_cfg):
         except ImportError:
             from setuptools.config import read_configuration
     except ImportError as e:
-        from pkg_resources import get_distribution
-        from pkg_resources import parse_version
-        setuptools_version = get_distribution('setuptools').version
+        try:
+            from importlib.metadata import distribution
+        except ImportError:
+            from importlib_metadata import distribution
+        from packaging.version import Version
+        try:
+            setuptools_version = distribution('setuptools').version
+        except ModuleNotFoundError:
+            setuptools_version = '0'
         minimum_version = '30.3.0'
-        if parse_version(setuptools_version) < parse_version(minimum_version):
+        if Version(setuptools_version) < Version(minimum_version):
             e.msg += ', ' \
                 "'setuptools' needs to be at least version " \
                 f'{minimum_version}, if a newer version is not available ' \
diff --git a/colcon_core/plugin_system.py b/colcon_core/plugin_system.py
index cbaf090a..dc9df955 100644
--- a/colcon_core/plugin_system.py
+++ b/colcon_core/plugin_system.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from colcon_core.entry_point import load_entry_points
 from colcon_core.logging import colcon_logger
-from pkg_resources import parse_version
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 logger = colcon_logger.getChild(__name__)
 
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ def satisfies_version(version, caret_range):
     :raises RuntimeError: if the version doesn't match the caret range
     """
     assert caret_range.startswith('^'), 'Only supports caret ranges'
-    extension_point_version = parse_version(version)
-    extension_version = parse_version(caret_range[1:])
+    extension_point_version = Version(version)
+    extension_version = Version(caret_range[1:])
     next_extension_version = _get_upper_bound_caret_version(
         extension_version)
 
@@ -192,4 +192,4 @@ def _get_upper_bound_caret_version(version):
         minor = 0
     else:
         minor += 1
-    return parse_version('%d.%d.0' % (major, minor))
+    return Version('%d.%d.0' % (major, minor))
diff --git a/colcon_core/task/python/test/pytest.py b/colcon_core/task/python/test/pytest.py
index 6b51d267..335e2140 100644
--- a/colcon_core/task/python/test/pytest.py
+++ b/colcon_core/task/python/test/pytest.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from colcon_core.task.python.test import has_test_dependency
 from colcon_core.task.python.test import PythonTestingStepExtensionPoint
 from colcon_core.verb.test import logger
-from pkg_resources import parse_version
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 
 class PytestPythonTestingStep(PythonTestingStepExtensionPoint):
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ async def step(self, context, env, setup_py_data):  # noqa: D102
         # use -o option only when available
         # https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/blob/3.3.0/CHANGELOG.rst
         from pytest import __version__ as pytest_version
-        if parse_version(pytest_version) >= parse_version('3.3.0'):
+        if Version(pytest_version) >= Version('3.3.0'):
             args += [
                 '-o', 'cache_dir=' + str(PurePosixPath(
                     *(Path(context.args.build_base).parts)) / '.pytest_cache'),
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ async def step(self, context, env, setup_py_data):  # noqa: D102
                 ]
                 # use --cov-branch option only when available
                 # https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-cov/blob/v2.5.0/CHANGELOG.rst
-                if parse_version(pytest_cov_version) >= parse_version('2.5.0'):
+                if Version(pytest_cov_version) >= Version('2.5.0'):
                     args += [
                         '--cov-branch',
                     ]
diff --git a/debian/patches/setup.cfg.patch b/debian/patches/setup.cfg.patch
index 14d9486e..add781c2 100644
--- a/debian/patches/setup.cfg.patch
+++ b/debian/patches/setup.cfg.patch
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ Author: Dirk Thomas <web@dirk-thomas.net>
 
 --- setup.cfg	2018-05-27 11:22:33.000000000 -0700
 +++ setup.cfg.patched	2018-05-27 11:22:33.000000000 -0700
-@@ -31,9 +31,12 @@
- 	distlib
- 	EmPy
+@@ -33,9 +33,12 @@
+ 	importlib-metadata; python_version < "3.8"
+ 	packaging
  	pytest
 -	pytest-cov
 -	pytest-repeat
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index b4b35334..f1ce310f 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ install_requires =
   coloredlogs; sys_platform == 'win32'
   distlib
   EmPy
+  importlib-metadata; python_version < "3.8"
+  packaging
   # the pytest dependency and its extensions are provided for convenience
   # even though they are only conditional
   pytest
diff --git a/test/spell_check.words b/test/spell_check.words
index 1cb76afd..4d060a0a 100644
--- a/test/spell_check.words
+++ b/test/spell_check.words
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ hardcodes
 hookimpl
 hookwrapper
 https
+importlib
 isatty
 iterdir
 junit