diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/_abi.py b/autobahn/xbr/_abi.py
index 513a40f61..e2e861aa4 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/_abi.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/_abi.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import os
 import json
 import binascii
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 
 os.environ['ETH_HASH_BACKEND'] = 'pycryptodome'
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 
 
 def _load_json(contract_name):
-    fn = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/{}.json'.format(contract_name))
+    fn = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / f'{contract_name}.json'
     with open(fn) as f:
         data = json.loads(f.read())
     return data
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ def _load_json(contract_name):
 #
 # XBR contract ABI file names
 #
-XBR_TOKEN_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRToken.json')
-XBR_NETWORK_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRNetwork.json')
-XBR_DOMAIN_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRDomain.json')
-XBR_CATALOG_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRCatalog.json')
-XBR_MARKET_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRMarket.json')
-XBR_CHANNEL_FN = pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'abi/XBRChannel.json')
+XBR_TOKEN_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRToken.json'
+XBR_NETWORK_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRNetwork.json'
+XBR_DOMAIN_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRDomain.json'
+XBR_CATALOG_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRCatalog.json'
+XBR_MARKET_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRMarket.json'
+XBR_CHANNEL_FN = importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRChannel.json'
 
 
 #
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/_cli.py b/autobahn/xbr/_cli.py
index 0fcb86930..e35567f4a 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/_cli.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/_cli.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 
 from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
 
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ def _main():
         print(repo.summary(keys=True))
 
         # folder with jinja2 templates for python code sections
-        templates = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/templates')
+        templates = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr') / 'templates'
 
         # jinja2 template engine loader and environment
         loader = FileSystemLoader(templates, encoding='utf-8', followlinks=False)
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/_gui.py b/autobahn/xbr/_gui.py
index 6ca565bda..7673a546e 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/_gui.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/_gui.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 import argparse
 import uuid
 import binascii
+import importlib.resources
 import random
-import pkg_resources
 from pprint import pprint
 from time import time_ns
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 from autobahn.xbr._cli import Client
 from autobahn.xbr._config import UserConfig, Profile
 
-LOGO_RESOURCE = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'asset/xbr_gray.svg')
+LOGO_RESOURCE = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.asset') / 'xbr_gray.svg'
 print(LOGO_RESOURCE, os.path.isfile(LOGO_RESOURCE))
 
 
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_demo.py b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_demo.py
index 13a9419f3..8cbf4d473 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_demo.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_demo.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import copy
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 from random import randint, random
 import txaio
 from unittest import skipIf
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.repo = FbsRepository('autobahn')
         self.archives = []
         for fbs_file in ['demo.bfbs', 'wamp-control.bfbs']:
-            archive = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/catalog/schema/{}'.format(fbs_file))
+            archive = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.catalog.schema') / fbs_file
             self.repo.load(archive)
             self.archives.append(archive)
 
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp.py b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp.py
index cf15b5040..147e25d81 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import os
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 from binascii import a2b_hex
 import txaio
 from unittest import skipIf
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.repo = FbsRepository('autobahn')
         self.archives = []
         for fbs_file in ['wamp.bfbs', 'testsvc1.bfbs']:
-            archive = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/catalog/schema/{}'.format(fbs_file))
+            archive = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.catalog.schema') / fbs_file
             self.repo.load(archive)
             self.archives.append(archive)
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def test_create_from_archive(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(self.repo.services['testsvc1.ITestService1'], FbsService)
 
     def test_loaded_schema(self):
-        schema_fn = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/catalog/schema/testsvc1.bfbs')
+        schema_fn = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.catalog.schema') / 'testsvc1.bfbs'
 
         # get reflection schema loaded
         schema: FbsSchema = self.repo.schemas[schema_fn]
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp_control.py b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp_control.py
index 948b503bb..f4c4b09bb 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp_control.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_schema_wamp_control.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import copy
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 import txaio
 from unittest import skipIf
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.repo = FbsRepository('autobahn')
         self.archives = []
         for fbs_file in ['wamp-control.bfbs']:
-            archive = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/catalog/schema/{}'.format(fbs_file))
+            archive = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.catalog.schema') / fbs_file
             self.repo.load(archive)
             self.archives.append(archive)
 
diff --git a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_secmod.py b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_secmod.py
index 0676e3804..4176f8046 100644
--- a/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_secmod.py
+++ b/autobahn/xbr/test/test_xbr_secmod.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 from random import randint, random
 from binascii import a2b_hex
 from typing import List
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ def test_secmod_from_seedphrase(self):
 
     @inlineCallbacks
     def test_secmod_from_config(self):
-        config = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/profile/config.ini')
+        config = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.profile') / 'config.ini'
 
         sm = SecurityModuleMemory.from_config(config)
         yield sm.open()
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ def test_secmod_from_config(self):
 
     @inlineCallbacks
     def test_secmod_from_keyfile(self):
-        keyfile = pkg_resources.resource_filename('autobahn', 'xbr/test/profile/default.priv')
+        keyfile = importlib.resources.files('autobahn.xbr.test.profile') / 'default.priv'
 
         sm = SecurityModuleMemory.from_keyfile(keyfile)
         yield sm.open()
diff --git a/docker/print-versions.py b/docker/print-versions.py
index 9ae0262b3..d0d5c10ff 100644
--- a/docker/print-versions.py
+++ b/docker/print-versions.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import sys
 import platform
 import importlib
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.metadata
 
 import txaio
 txaio.use_twisted()  # noqa
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def _get_version(name_or_module):
         v = name_or_module.version
     else:
         try:
-            v = pkg_resources.get_distribution(name_or_module.__name__).version
+            v = importlib.metadata.version(name_or_module.__name__)
         except:
             # eg flatbuffers when run from single file EXE (pyinstaller): https://github.com/google/flatbuffers/issues/5299
             v = '?.?.?'
diff --git a/docs/xbr.rst b/docs/xbr.rst
index 72a4d4849..9564bf09f 100644
--- a/docs/xbr.rst
+++ b/docs/xbr.rst
@@ -95,13 +95,13 @@ To directly use the embedded ABI files:
 .. code-block:: python
 
     import json
-    import pkg_resources
+    import importlib.resources
     from pprint import pprint
 
-    with open(pkg_resources.resource_filename('xbr', 'contracts/XBRToken.json')) as f:
-        data = json.loads(f.read())
-        abi = data['abi']
-        pprint(abi)
+    text = (importlib.resources.files('xbr.abi') / 'XBRToken.json').read_text()
+    data = json.loads(text)
+    abi = data['abi']
+    pprint(abi)
 
 
 Data stored on-chain
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c2a463295..7752e7b28 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@
         'txaio>=21.2.1',        # MIT license (https://github.com/crossbario/txaio)
         'cryptography>=3.4.6',  # BSD *or* Apache license (https://github.com/pyca/cryptography)
         'hyperlink>=21.0.0',    # MIT license (https://github.com/python-hyper/hyperlink)
-        'setuptools',           # MIT license (https://github.com/pypa/setuptools)
     ],
     extras_require={
         'all': extras_require_all,