diff --git a/tests/test_util.py b/tests/test_util.py
index 6f4cefd..87ae622 100644
--- a/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/test_util.py
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 import os
 import zipfile, json, gzip, hashlib
 from io import BytesIO
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from wacz.util import hash_stream, validateJSON
+from wacz.util import get_py_wacz_version, hash_stream, validateJSON
 
 TEST_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "fixtures")
 
@@ -30,6 +31,12 @@ def test_util_validate_json_fail(self):
         """validate json method should fail with valid json"""
         self.assertFalse(validateJSON('test": "test"}'))
 
+    def test_get_py_wacz_version(self):
+        """Get package version from installed package metadata"""
+        with patch("wacz.util.package_version", return_value="0.5.0") as mock_version:
+            self.assertEqual(get_py_wacz_version(), "0.5.0")
+            mock_version.assert_called_once_with("wacz")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/wacz/main.py b/wacz/main.py
index 61fade3..8d60963 100644
--- a/wacz/main.py
+++ b/wacz/main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from argparse import ArgumentParser, RawTextHelpFormatter
 from io import BytesIO, StringIO, TextIOWrapper
-import os, json, datetime, shutil, zipfile, sys, gzip, pkg_resources
+import os, json, datetime, shutil, zipfile, sys, gzip
 from wacz.waczindexer import WACZIndexer
 from wacz.util import now, WACZ_VERSION, construct_passed_pages_dict
 from wacz.validate import Validation, OUTDATED_WACZ
diff --git a/wacz/util.py b/wacz/util.py
index 4217c11..cfe0570 100644
--- a/wacz/util.py
+++ b/wacz/util.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import hashlib, datetime, json, os
+try:
+    from importlib.metadata import version as package_version
+except ImportError:
+    from importlib_metadata import version as package_version
+
 from warcio.timeutils import iso_date_to_timestamp
-import pkg_resources
 
 WACZ_VERSION = "1.1.1"
 
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ def check_http_and_https(url, ts, pages_dict):
 
 def get_py_wacz_version():
     """Get version of the py-wacz package"""
-    return pkg_resources.get_distribution("wacz").version
+    return package_version("wacz")
 
 
 def hash_stream(hash_type, stream):
diff --git a/wacz/validate.py b/wacz/validate.py
index ca01a55..2e3f59a 100644
--- a/wacz/validate.py
+++ b/wacz/validate.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import tempfile, os, zipfile, json, pathlib, pkg_resources, gzip
+import tempfile, os, zipfile, json, pathlib, gzip
 from frictionless import validate
 from wacz.util import hash_stream, now
 from wacz.waczindexer import WACZIndexer