diff -urN a/ldns-1.7.1/ax_python_devel.m4 b/ldns-1.7.1/ax_python_devel.m4
--- a/ldns-1.7.1/ax_python_devel.m4	2019-07-26 17:07:44.000000000 +0200
+++ b/ldns-1.7.1/ax_python_devel.m4	2022-02-15 12:35:30.881489085 +0100
@@ -135,16 +135,24 @@
 	#
 	# Check if you have distutils, else fail
 	#
-	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the distutils Python package])
-	ac_distutils_result=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils" 2>&1`
-	if test -z "$ac_distutils_result"; then
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the sysconfig Python package])
+	ac_sysconfig_result=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig" 2>&1`
+	if test $? -eq 0; then
 		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+		IMPORT_SYSCONFIG="import sysconfig"
 	else
 		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "distutils".
+		AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the distutils Python package])
+		ac_sysconfig_result=`$PYTHON -c "from distutils import sysconfig" 2>&1`
+		if test $? -eq 0; then
+			AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+			IMPORT_SYSCONFIG="from distutils import sysconfig"
+		else
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "distutils".
 Please check your Python installation. The error was:
-$ac_distutils_result])
-		PYTHON_VERSION=""
+$ac_sysconfig_result])
+			PYTHON_VERSION=""
+		fi
 	fi
 
 	#
@@ -152,10 +160,19 @@
 	#
 	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=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-			print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc (plat_specific=1));"`
+		if test "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG" = "import sysconfig"; then
+			# sysconfig module has different functions
+			python_path=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_path ('include'));"`
+			plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_path ('platinclude'));"`
+		else
+			# old distutils way
+			python_path=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_python_inc ());"`
+			plat_python_path=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_python_inc (plat_specific=1));"`
+		fi
 		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 +196,7 @@
 
 # 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 +219,8 @@
 		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 +228,8 @@
 		# Now, for the library:
 		ac_python_library=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
 
-import distutils.sysconfig
-c = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars()
+$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG
+c = sysconfig.get_config_vars()
 if 'LDVERSION' in c:
 	print ('python'+c[['LDVERSION']])
 else:
@@ -231,7 +248,7 @@
 		else
 			# old way: use libpython from python_configdir
 			ac_python_libdir=`$PYTHON -c \
-			  "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib as f; \
+			  "from sysconfig import get_python_lib as f; \
 			  import os; \
 			  print (os.path.join(f(plat_specific=1, standard_lib=1), 'config'));"`
 			PYTHON_LDFLAGS="-L$ac_python_libdir -lpython$ac_python_version"
@@ -252,8 +269,14 @@
 	#
 	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));"`
+		if test "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG" = "import sysconfig"; then
+			PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_path('platlib'));"`
+		else
+			# distutils.sysconfig way
+			PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+				print (sysconfig.get_python_lib(0,0));"`
+		fi
 	fi
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
 	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
@@ -263,9 +286,9 @@
 	#
 	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; \
-                print (conf('LIBS'))"`
+	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "$IMPORT_SYSCONFIG; \
+                conf = sysconfig.get_config_var; \
+                print (conf('LIBS') + ' ' + conf('SYSLIBS'))"`
 	fi
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS])
 	AC_SUBST(PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS)
@@ -275,8 +298,8 @@
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra linking flags)
 	if test -z "$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])
@@ -300,6 +323,7 @@
 	# turn back to default flags
 	CPPFLAGS="$ac_save_CPPFLAGS"
 	LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS"
+	LDFLAGS="$ac_save_LDFLAGS"
 
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$pythonexists])