diff --git a/bmtk/analyzer/spikes_analyzer.py b/bmtk/analyzer/spikes_analyzer.py
index af77187a6..f03778f9d 100644
--- a/bmtk/analyzer/spikes_analyzer.py
+++ b/bmtk/analyzer/spikes_analyzer.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 try:
-    from distutils.version import LooseVersion
-    use_sort_values = LooseVersion(pd.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.19.0')
+    from packaging.version import Version
+    use_sort_values = Version(pd.__version__) >= Version('0.19.0')
 
 except:
     use_sort_values = False
diff --git a/bmtk/utils/compile_mechanisms/compile_mechanisms.py b/bmtk/utils/compile_mechanisms/compile_mechanisms.py
index c8b72f890..25951054f 100644
--- a/bmtk/utils/compile_mechanisms/compile_mechanisms.py
+++ b/bmtk/utils/compile_mechanisms/compile_mechanisms.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import logging
 from subprocess import call
-from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
+from shutil import copytree
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ def copy_modfiles(mechanisms_dir, cached_dir=None):
         cached_dir = os.path.join(local_path, '..', 'scripts/bionet/mechanisms')
 
     logger.info('Copying mod files from {} to {}'.format(cached_dir, mechanisms_dir))
-    copy_tree(cached_dir, mechanisms_dir)
+    copytree(cached_dir, mechanisms_dir, dirs_exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/bmtk/utils/create_environment/env_builder.py b/bmtk/utils/create_environment/env_builder.py
index 8705de731..c7194d1be 100644
--- a/bmtk/utils/create_environment/env_builder.py
+++ b/bmtk/utils/create_environment/env_builder.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 from subprocess import call
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import logging
-from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
+from shutil import copytree
 
 from bmtk.utils.compile_mechanisms import copy_modfiles, compile_mechanisms
 
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ def _create_components_dir(self, components_dir, with_examples=True):
 
             if with_examples:
                 logger.info('  Copying files from {}.'.format(src_dir))
-                copy_tree(src_dir, trg_dir)
+                copytree(src_dir, trg_dir, dirs_exist_ok=True)
 
         # return components_config
         self._circuit_config['components'] = components_config
diff --git a/bmtk/utils/sim_setup.py b/bmtk/utils/sim_setup.py
index 3bd061efd..6fe97142f 100644
--- a/bmtk/utils/sim_setup.py
+++ b/bmtk/utils/sim_setup.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 from optparse import OptionParser
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import logging
-from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
+from shutil import copytree
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def _create_components_dir(self, components_dir, with_examples=True):
 
             if with_examples:
                 logger.info('  Copying files from {}.'.format(src_dir))
-                copy_tree(src_dir, trg_dir)
+                copytree(src_dir, trg_dir, dirs_exist_ok=True)
 
         # return components_config
         self._circuit_config['components'] = components_config
@@ -852,4 +852,4 @@ def membrane_report_parser(option, opt, value, parser):
     elif target_sim == 'filternet':
         build_env_filternet(base_dir=base_dir, network_dir=options.network_dir, tstop=options.tstop,
                             include_examples=options.include_examples,
-                            config_file=options.config_file)
\ No newline at end of file
+                            config_file=options.config_file)