diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index e296dba0..9305ac6f 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ repos:
         files: ^(CHANGELOG.rst|HOWTORELEASE.rst|README.rst|changelog/.*)$
         language: python
         additional_dependencies: [pygments, restructuredtext_lint]
-        python_version: python3.6
 -   repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pygrep-hooks
     rev: v1.0.0
     hooks:
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index e752b101..550071d7 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib_metadata
 
 
 extensions = [
@@ -20,14 +20,13 @@
 
 # General information about the project.
 
-dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution("pluggy")
-project = dist.project_name
+project = "pluggy"
 copyright = u"2016, Holger Krekel"
 author = "Holger Krekel"
 
-release = dist.version
+release = importlib_metadata.version(project)
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = u".".join(dist.version.split(".")[:2])
+version = u".".join(release.split(".")[:2])
 
 
 language = None
diff --git a/pluggy/manager.py b/pluggy/manager.py
index dc3dfa9b..3a871496 100644
--- a/pluggy/manager.py
+++ b/pluggy/manager.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import inspect
+import importlib_metadata
 from . import _tracing
 from .hooks import HookImpl, _HookRelay, _HookCaller, normalize_hookimpl_opts
 import warnings
@@ -254,25 +255,14 @@ def check_pending(self):
     def load_setuptools_entrypoints(self, entrypoint_name):
         """ Load modules from querying the specified setuptools entrypoint name.
         Return the number of loaded plugins. """
-        from pkg_resources import (
-            iter_entry_points,
-            DistributionNotFound,
-            VersionConflict,
-        )
-
-        for ep in iter_entry_points(entrypoint_name):
+        for ep in importlib_metadata.entry_points().get(entrypoint_name, ()):
             # is the plugin registered or blocked?
             if self.get_plugin(ep.name) or self.is_blocked(ep.name):
                 continue
             try:
                 plugin = ep.load()
-            except DistributionNotFound:
+            except (ImportError, AttributeError):
                 continue
-            except VersionConflict as e:
-                raise PluginValidationError(
-                    plugin=None,
-                    message="Plugin %r could not be loaded: %s!" % (ep.name, e),
-                )
             self.register(plugin, name=ep.name)
             self._plugin_distinfo.append((plugin, ep.dist))
         return len(self._plugin_distinfo)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d60e5fd9..d23874f3 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ def main():
         author_email="holger@merlinux.eu",
         url="https://github.com/pytest-dev/pluggy",
         python_requires=">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*",
+        install_requires=["importlib-metadata>=0.8"],
         extras_require={"dev": ["pre-commit", "tox"]},
         classifiers=classifiers,
         packages=["pluggy"],
diff --git a/testing/test_pluginmanager.py b/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
index fc9cf32b..0e1663c4 100644
--- a/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
+++ b/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 """
 import pytest
 import types
-import sys
+import importlib_metadata
 from pluggy import (
     PluginManager,
     PluginValidationError,
@@ -447,24 +447,20 @@ def example_hook():
 
 
 def test_load_setuptools_instantiation(monkeypatch, pm):
-    pkg_resources = pytest.importorskip("pkg_resources")
+    class EntryPoint(object):
+        name = "myname"
+        dist = None
 
-    def my_iter(name):
-        assert name == "hello"
+        def load(self):
+            class PseudoPlugin(object):
+                x = 42
 
-        class EntryPoint(object):
-            name = "myname"
-            dist = None
+            return PseudoPlugin()
 
-            def load(self):
-                class PseudoPlugin(object):
-                    x = 42
+    def eps():
+        return {"hello": (EntryPoint(),)}
 
-                return PseudoPlugin()
-
-        return iter([EntryPoint()])
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(pkg_resources, "iter_entry_points", my_iter)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(importlib_metadata, "entry_points", eps)
     num = pm.load_setuptools_entrypoints("hello")
     assert num == 1
     plugin = pm.get_plugin("myname")
@@ -472,37 +468,6 @@ class PseudoPlugin(object):
     assert pm.list_plugin_distinfo() == [(plugin, None)]
 
 
-def test_load_setuptools_version_conflict(monkeypatch, pm):
-    """Check that we properly handle a VersionConflict problem when loading entry points"""
-    pkg_resources = pytest.importorskip("pkg_resources")
-
-    def my_iter(name):
-        assert name == "hello"
-
-        class EntryPoint(object):
-            name = "myname"
-            dist = None
-
-            def load(self):
-                raise pkg_resources.VersionConflict("Some conflict")
-
-        return iter([EntryPoint()])
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(pkg_resources, "iter_entry_points", my_iter)
-    with pytest.raises(
-        PluginValidationError,
-        match="Plugin 'myname' could not be loaded: Some conflict!",
-    ):
-        pm.load_setuptools_entrypoints("hello")
-
-
-def test_load_setuptools_not_installed(monkeypatch, pm):
-    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "pkg_resources", types.ModuleType("pkg_resources"))
-
-    with pytest.raises(ImportError):
-        pm.load_setuptools_entrypoints("qwe")
-
-
 def test_add_tracefuncs(he_pm):
     out = []