diff --git a/openstack/connection.py b/openstack/connection.py
index 9055077a2..c993dbdd7 100644
--- a/openstack/connection.py
+++ b/openstack/connection.py
@@ -201,15 +201,10 @@ Additional information about the services can be found in the
 """
 import atexit
 import concurrent.futures
+import importlib.metadata as importlib_metadata
 import warnings
 import weakref
 
-try:
-    # For python 3.8 and later
-    import importlib.metadata as importlib_metadata
-except ImportError:
-    # For everyone else
-    import importlib_metadata  # type: ignore
 import keystoneauth1.exceptions
 import requestsexceptions
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 25fb9a198..ad1c7e95a 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 cryptography>=2.7 # BSD/Apache-2.0
 decorator>=4.4.1 # BSD
 dogpile.cache>=0.6.5 # BSD
-importlib_metadata>=1.7.0;python_version<'3.8' # Apache-2.0
 iso8601>=0.1.11 # MIT
 jmespath>=0.9.0 # MIT
 jsonpatch!=1.20,>=1.16 # BSD