diff --git a/ax_python_devel.m4 b/ax_python_devel.m4

index aff04f68..71a04314 100644

--- a/ax_python_devel.m4

+++ b/ax_python_devel.m4

@@ -132,30 +132,15 @@ variable to configure. See ``configure --help'' for reference.

 		fi

 	fi

-	#

-	# Check if you have distutils, else fail

-	#

-	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the distutils Python package])

-	ac_distutils_result=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils" 2>&1`

-	if test $? -eq 0; then

-		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])

-	else

-		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])

-		AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "distutils".

-Please check your Python installation. The error was:

-$ac_distutils_result])

-		PYTHON_VERSION=""

-	fi

-

 	#

 	# Check for Python include path

 	#

 	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('platinclude'));"`

 		if test -n "${python_path}"; then

 			if test "${plat_python_path}" != "${python_path}"; then

 				python_path="-I$python_path -I$plat_python_path"

@@ -179,7 +164,7 @@ $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)

@@ -202,8 +187,8 @@ 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`

@@ -211,8 +196,8 @@ 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:

@@ -223,19 +208,9 @@ EOD`

 		# credits goes to momjian, I think. I'd like to put the right name

 		# in the credits, if someone can point me in the right direction... ?

 		#

-		if test -n "$ac_python_libdir" -a -n "$ac_python_library"

-		then

-			# use the official shared library

-			ac_python_library=`echo "$ac_python_library" | sed "s/^lib//"`

-			PYTHON_LIBS="-L$ac_python_libdir -l$ac_python_library"

-		else

-			# old way: use libpython from python_configdir

-			ac_python_libdir=`$PYTHON -c \

-			  "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib as f; \

-			  import os; \

-			  print (os.path.join(f(plat_specific=1, standard_lib=1), 'config'));"`

-			PYTHON_LIBS="-L$ac_python_libdir -lpython$ac_python_version"

-		fi

+		# use the official shared library

+		ac_python_library=`echo "$ac_python_library" | sed "s/^lib//"`

+		PYTHON_LIBS="-L$ac_python_libdir -l$ac_python_library"

 		if test -z "PYTHON_LIBS"; then

 			AC_MSG_ERROR([

@@ -252,8 +227,8 @@ 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(1,0));"`

+		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \

+			print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'));"`

 	fi

 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])

 	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])

@@ -263,8 +238,8 @@ EOD`

 	#

 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra libraries)

 	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('LIBS') + ' ' + conf('SYSLIBS'))"`

 	fi

 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS])

@@ -275,8 +250,8 @@ EOD`

 	#

 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra linking flags)

 	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('LINKFORSHARED'))"`

 	fi

 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS])