diff --git a/arf.py b/arf.py
index 27f1fa9..fb0c416 100644
--- a/arf.py
+++ b/arf.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def open_file(name, mode=None, driver=None, libver=None, userblock_size=None, **
     """
     import os
     import sys
-    from distutils.version import StrictVersion
+    from packaging.version import Version
 
     from h5py import File, h5p
 
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ def open_file(name, mode=None, driver=None, libver=None, userblock_size=None, **
         fp = File(name, mode=mode, driver=driver, libver=libver, **kwargs)
     else:
         posargs = []
-        if StrictVersion(h5py_version) >= StrictVersion("2.9"):
+        if Version(h5py_version) >= Version("2.9"):
             posargs += ["rdcc_nslots", "rdcc_nbytes", "rdcc_w0"]
-        if StrictVersion(h5py_version) >= StrictVersion("3.5"):
+        if Version(h5py_version) >= Version("3.5"):
             posargs += ["locking", "page_buf_size", "min_meta_keep", "min_raw_keep"]
-        if StrictVersion(h5py_version) >= StrictVersion("3.7"):
+        if Version(h5py_version) >= Version("3.7"):
             # integer is needed
             kwargs.update(
                 {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def open_file(name, mode=None, driver=None, libver=None, userblock_size=None, **
                     for arg in ["alignment_threshold", "alignment_interval"]
                 }
             )
-        if StrictVersion(h5py_version) >= StrictVersion("3.8"):
+        if Version(h5py_version) >= Version("3.8"):
             posargs += ["meta_block_size"]
         kwargs.update({arg: kwargs.get(arg, None) for arg in posargs})
         fapl = _files.make_fapl(driver, libver, **kwargs)
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ def check_file_version(file):
     Returns the version for the file
 
     """
-    from distutils.version import StrictVersion as Version
+    from packaging.version import Version
 
     try:
         ver = file.attrs.get("arf_version", None)
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 7361234..092c7a0 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -35,4 +35,9 @@ setup_requires =
 install_requires =
     numpy<2
     h5py>=2.8,!=3.3.*
+    packaging >= 23.0
 test_suite = tests
+
+[options.extras_require]
+test =
+    pytest >= 7.0
diff --git a/tests/test_arf.py b/tests/test_arf.py
index 17b8fe6..83c0da3 100644
--- a/tests/test_arf.py
+++ b/tests/test_arf.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import time
 import unittest
-from distutils import version
+from packaging import version
 
 import numpy as nx
 from h5py.version import version as h5py_version
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     ),
     dict(
         name="neural",
-        data=(randn(100000) * 2 ** 16).astype("h"),
+        data=(randn(100000) * 2**16).astype("h"),
         sampling_rate=20000,
         datatype=arf.DataTypes.EXTRAC_HP,
         compression=9,
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test00_create_entries(self):
         N = 5
         for i in range(N):
             yield self.create_entry, entry_base % i
-        self.assertEqual(len(self.fp), N)
+        assert len(self.fp) == N
 
     def test01_create_existing_entry(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def test04_create_bad_dataset(self):
                 self.create_dataset(self.entry, dset)
 
     def test05_set_attributes(self):
-        """ tests the set_attributes convenience function """
+        """tests the set_attributes convenience function"""
         arf.set_attributes(self.entry, mystr="myvalue", myint=5000)
         self.assertEqual(self.entry.attrs["myint"], 5000)
         self.assertEqual(self.entry.attrs["mystr"], "myvalue")
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ def test09_append_to_table(self):
 
 
 @unittest.skipIf(
-    version.StrictVersion(h5py_version) < version.StrictVersion("2.2"),
+    version.Version(h5py_version) < version.Version("2.2"),
     "not supported on h5py < 2.2",
 )
 class TestArfNavigation(unittest.TestCase):