diff -urNp a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure	2021-08-02 13:38:21.012807239 +0200
+++ b/configure	2021-08-02 14:32:29.884167376 +0200
@@ -13535,20 +13535,20 @@ variable to configure. See \`\`configure
 	fi
 
 	#
-	# Check if you have distutils, else fail
+	# Check if you have sysconfig, else fail
 	#
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for the distutils Python package" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for the distutils Python package... " >&6; }
-	ac_distutils_result=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils" 2>&1`
-	if test -z "$ac_distutils_result"; then
+	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for the sysconfig Python package" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for the sysconfig Python package... " >&6; }
+	ac_sysconfig_result=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig" 2>&1`
+	if test -z "$ac_sysconfig_result"; then
 		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
 $as_echo "yes" >&6; }
 	else
 		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
 $as_echo "no" >&6; }
-		as_fn_error $? "cannot import Python module \"distutils\".
+		as_fn_error $? "cannot import Python module \"sysconfig\".
 Please check your Python installation. The error was:
-$ac_distutils_result" "$LINENO" 5
+$ac_sysconfig_result" "$LINENO" 5
 		PYTHON_VERSION=""
 	fi
 
@@ -13558,10 +13558,10 @@ $ac_distutils_result" "$LINENO" 5
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Python include path" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for Python include path... " >&6; }
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS"; then
-		python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc ());"`
-		plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc (plat_specific=1));"`
+		python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('include'));"`
+		plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('include'));"`
 		if test -n "${python_path}"; then
 			if test "${plat_python_path}" != "${python_path}"; then
 				python_path="-I$python_path -I$plat_python_path"
@@ -13587,7 +13587,7 @@ $as_echo_n "checking for Python library
 
 # join all versioning strings, on some systems
 # major/minor numbers could be in different list elements
-from distutils.sysconfig import *
+from sysconfig import *
 e = get_config_var('VERSION')
 if e is not None:
 	print(e)
@@ -13613,8 +13613,8 @@ _ACEOF
 		ac_python_libdir=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
 
 # There should be only one
-import distutils.sysconfig
-e = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR')
+import sysconfig
+e = sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR')
 if e is not None:
 	print (e)
 EOD`
@@ -13622,8 +13622,8 @@ EOD`
 		# Now, for the library:
 		ac_python_library=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
 
-import distutils.sysconfig
-c = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars()
+import sysconfig
+c = sysconfig.get_config_vars()
 if 'LDVERSION' in c:
 	print ('python'+c['LDVERSION'])
 else:
@@ -13642,9 +13642,9 @@ EOD`
 		else
 			# old way: use libpython from python_configdir
 			ac_python_libdir=`$PYTHON -c \
-			  "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib as f; \
+			  "from sysconfig import get_path as f; \
 			  import os; \
-			  print (os.path.join(f(plat_specific=1, standard_lib=1), 'config'));"`
+			  print (os.path.join(f('platstdlib'), 'config'));"`
 			PYTHON_LIBS="-L$ac_python_libdir -lpython$ac_python_version"
 		fi
 
@@ -13665,8 +13665,8 @@ $as_echo "$PYTHON_LIBS" >&6; }
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Python site-packages path" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for Python site-packages path... " >&6; }
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG"; then
-		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(0,0));"`
+		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('platlib'));"`
 	fi
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON_SITE_PKG" >&5
 $as_echo "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG" >&6; }
@@ -13678,8 +13678,8 @@ $as_echo "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG" >&6; }
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking python extra libraries" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking python extra libraries... " >&6; }
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS"; then
-	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-                conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
+	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+                conf = sysconfig.get_config_var; \
                 print (conf('LIBS') + ' ' + conf('SYSLIBS'))"`
 	fi
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS" >&5
@@ -13692,8 +13692,8 @@ $as_echo "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS" >&6; }
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking python extra linking flags" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking python extra linking flags... " >&6; }
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS"; then
-		PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
+		PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			conf = sysconfig.get_config_var; \
 			print (conf('LINKFORSHARED'))"`
 	fi
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS" >&5
diff -urNp a/m4/ax_python_devel.m4 b/m4/ax_python_devel.m4
--- a/m4/ax_python_devel.m4	2021-08-02 13:38:21.025807373 +0200
+++ b/m4/ax_python_devel.m4	2021-08-02 14:36:33.262720424 +0200
@@ -139,17 +139,17 @@ variable to configure. See ``configure -
 	fi
 
 	#
-	# Check if you have distutils, else fail
+	# Check if you have sysconfig, else fail
 	#
-	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the distutils Python package])
-	ac_distutils_result=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils" 2>&1`
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the sysconfig Python package])
+	ac_sysconfig_result=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig" 2>&1`
 	if test $? -eq 0; then
 		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
 	else
 		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "distutils".
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "sysconfig".
 Please check your Python installation. The error was:
-$ac_distutils_result])
+$ac_sysconfig_result])
 		PYTHON_VERSION=""
 	fi
 
@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ $ac_distutils_result])
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python include path])
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS"; then
-		python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc ());"`
-		plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc (plat_specific=1));"`
+		python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('include'));"`
+		plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('include'));"`
 		if test -n "${python_path}"; then
 			if test "${plat_python_path}" != "${python_path}"; then
 				python_path="-I$python_path -I$plat_python_path"
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ $ac_distutils_result])
 
 # join all versioning strings, on some systems
 # major/minor numbers could be in different list elements
-from distutils.sysconfig import *
+from sysconfig import *
 e = get_config_var('VERSION')
 if e is not None:
 	print(e)
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ EOD`
 		ac_python_libdir=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
 
 # There should be only one
-import distutils.sysconfig
-e = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR')
+import sysconfig
+e = sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR')
 if e is not None:
 	print (e)
 EOD`
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ EOD`
 		# Now, for the library:
 		ac_python_library=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
 
-import distutils.sysconfig
-c = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars()
+import sysconfig
+c = sysconfig.get_config_vars()
 if 'LDVERSION' in c:
 	print ('python'+c[['LDVERSION']])
 else:
@@ -237,9 +237,9 @@ EOD`
 		else
 			# old way: use libpython from python_configdir
 			ac_python_libdir=`$PYTHON -c \
-			  "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib as f; \
+			  "from sysconfig import get_path as f; \
 			  import os; \
-			  print (os.path.join(f(plat_specific=1, standard_lib=1), 'config'));"`
+			  print (os.path.join(f('platstdlib'), 'config'));"`
 			PYTHON_LIBS="-L$ac_python_libdir -lpython$ac_python_version"
 		fi
 
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ EOD`
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG"; then
-		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(0,0));"`
+		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			print (sysconfig.get_path('platlib'));"`
 	fi
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
 	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ EOD`
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra libraries)
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS"; then
-	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-                conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
+	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+                conf = sysconfig.get_config_var; \
                 print (conf('LIBS') + ' ' + conf('SYSLIBS'))"`
 	fi
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS])
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ EOD`
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra linking flags)
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS"; then
-		PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
+		PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+			conf = sysconfig.get_config_var; \
 			print (conf('LINKFORSHARED'))"`
 	fi
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS])
