diff --git a/contrib/ci/dependencies.xml b/contrib/ci/dependencies.xml
index 69d8f783f..f8d8fbb00 100644
--- a/contrib/ci/dependencies.xml
+++ b/contrib/ci/dependencies.xml
@@ -1374,6 +1374,24 @@
       <package variant="x86_64" />
     </distro>
   </dependency>
+  <dependency type="build" id="python3-packaging">
+    <distro id="fedora">
+      <package variant="x86_64" />
+      <package variant="aarch64" />
+    </distro>
+    <distro id="arch">
+      <package variant="x86_64">python-packaging</package>
+    </distro>
+    <distro id="debian">
+      <control />
+      <package variant="x86_64" />
+      <package variant="i386" />
+    </distro>
+    <distro id="ubuntu">
+      <control />
+      <package variant="x86_64" />
+    </distro>
+  </dependency>
   <dependency type="build" id="python3-requests">
     <distro id="debian">
       <package variant="s390x">qemu-user</package>
diff --git a/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupd_heads.py b/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupd_heads.py
index bae21a760..d551c73dc 100644
--- a/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupd_heads.py
+++ b/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupd_heads.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import subprocess
 import os
 import shutil
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion as l_ver
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 FWUPDTOOL = "/bin/fwupdtool"
 
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ class FwupdHeads:
             return EXIT_CODES["NOTHING_TO_DO"]
         for release in heads_metadata_info.find("releases").findall("release"):
             release_ver = release.get("version")
-            if self.heads_version == "heads" or l_ver(release_ver) > l_ver(
+            if self.heads_version == "heads" or Version(release_ver) > Version(
                 self.heads_version
             ):
-                if not self.heads_update_version or l_ver(release_ver) > l_ver(
+                if not self.heads_update_version or Version(release_ver) > Version(
                     self.heads_update_version
                 ):
                     self.heads_update_url = release.find("location").text
diff --git a/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupdmgr.py b/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupdmgr.py
index 7e6fa3978..93dd9d0b9 100755
--- a/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupdmgr.py
+++ b/contrib/qubes/src/qubes_fwupdmgr.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import sys
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 from pathlib import Path
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion as l_ver
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 FWUPD_QUBES_DIR = "/usr/share/qubes-fwupd"
 
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ class QubesFwupdmgr(FwupdHeads, FwupdUpdate, FwupdReceiveUpdates):
         self.name = updates_dict[vm_name][choice]["Name"]
         self.version = updates_dict[vm_name][choice]["Releases"][0]["Version"]
         for ver_check in updates_dict[vm_name][choice]["Releases"]:
-            if l_ver(ver_check["Version"]) >= l_ver(self.version):
+            if Version(ver_check["Version"]) >= Version(self.version):
                 self.version = ver_check["Version"]
                 self.url = ver_check["Url"]
                 self.sha = ver_check["Checksum"]
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ class QubesFwupdmgr(FwupdHeads, FwupdUpdate, FwupdReceiveUpdates):
             raise ValueError("No vendor information in firmware metainfo.")
         if vendor not in dmi_info:
             raise ValueError("Wrong firmware provider.")
-        if not downgrade and l_ver(version) <= l_ver(self.dmi_version):
+        if not downgrade and Version(version) <= Version(self.dmi_version):
             raise ValueError(f"{version} < {self.dmi_version} Downgrade not allowed")
 
     def _get_dom0_devices(self):
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ class QubesFwupdmgr(FwupdHeads, FwupdUpdate, FwupdReceiveUpdates):
                 )
                 current_version = device["Version"]
                 for update in device["Releases"]:
-                    if l_ver(update["Version"]) > current_version:
+                    if Version(update["Version"]) > current_version:
                         self.usbvm_updates_list[-1]["Releases"].append(
                             {
                                 "Version": update["Version"],
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ class QubesFwupdmgr(FwupdHeads, FwupdUpdate, FwupdReceiveUpdates):
                                 "Checksum": downgrade["Checksum"][-1],
                             }
                             for downgrade in device["Releases"]
-                            if l_ver(downgrade["Version"]) < l_ver(version)
+                            if Version(downgrade["Version"]) < Version(version)
                         ],
                     }
                 )
diff --git a/contrib/qubes/test/test_qubes_fwupdmgr.py b/contrib/qubes/test/test_qubes_fwupdmgr.py
index c67c420dc..ec9e42b58 100755
--- a/contrib/qubes/test/test_qubes_fwupdmgr.py
+++ b/contrib/qubes/test/test_qubes_fwupdmgr.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import sys
 import imp
 import io
 import platform
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion as l_ver
+from packaging.version import Version
 from pathlib import Path
 from test.fwupd_logs import UPDATE_INFO, GET_DEVICES, DMI_DECODE
 from test.fwupd_logs import GET_DEVICES_NO_UPDATES, GET_DEVICES_NO_VERSION
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
         self.q._get_dom0_devices()
         downgrades = self.q._parse_downgrades(self.q.dom0_devices_info)
         new_version = downgrades[number]["Version"]
-        self.assertGreater(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertGreater(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(
         check_whonix_updatevm() and device_connected_usbvm(), REQUIRED_DEV
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
             raw = usbvm_device_info.read()
             downgrades = self.q._parse_downgrades(raw)
         new_version = downgrades[number]["Version"]
-        self.assertGreater(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertGreater(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
         old_version = None
         new_version = None
         self.q._get_dom0_updates()
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
                 break
         if new_version is None:
             self.fail("Test device not found")
-        self.assertLess(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertLess(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(device_connected_usbvm(), REQUIRED_DEV)
     def test_downgrade_firmware_usbvm(self):
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
             raw = usbvm_device_info.read()
             downgrades = self.q._parse_downgrades(raw)
         new_version = downgrades[number]["Version"]
-        self.assertGreater(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertGreater(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
 
     def test_parse_downgrades(self):
         downgrades = self.q._parse_downgrades(GET_DEVICES)
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
                 break
         if new_version is None:
             self.fail("Test device not found")
-        self.assertLess(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertLess(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(device_connected_usbvm(), REQUIRED_DEV)
     def test_update_firmware_usbvm(self):
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ class TestQubesFwupdmgr(unittest.TestCase):
                 break
         if new_version is None:
             self.fail("Test device not found")
-        self.assertLess(l_ver(old_version), l_ver(new_version))
+        self.assertLess(Version(old_version), Version(new_version))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(check_usbvm(), REQUIRED_USBVM)
     def test_get_usbvm_devices(self):
diff --git a/docs/test-deps.py b/docs/test-deps.py
index bc7c226bc..87e91b3a4 100755
--- a/docs/test-deps.py
+++ b/docs/test-deps.py
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 import sys
 import markdown
 
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 # https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/pull/3337#issuecomment-858947695
-if LooseVersion(markdown.version) < LooseVersion("3.3.3"):
+if Version(markdown.version) < Version("3.3.3"):
     print("python3-markdown version 3.3.3 required for gi-docgen")
     sys.exit(1)