diff --git a/gunpowder/contrib/nodes/dvid_partner_annotation_source.py b/gunpowder/contrib/nodes/dvid_partner_annotation_source.py
index f7f08599..400f6c68 100644
--- a/gunpowder/contrib/nodes/dvid_partner_annotation_source.py
+++ b/gunpowder/contrib/nodes/dvid_partner_annotation_source.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import distutils.util
 import numpy as np
 import logging
 import requests
@@ -14,6 +13,14 @@
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+def strtobool(val):
+    val = val.lower()
+    if val in ('y', 'yes', 't', 'true', 'on', '1'):
+        return 1
+    elif val in ('n', 'no', 'f', 'false', 'off', '0'):
+        return 0
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid truth value: {val}")
 
 class DvidPartnerAnnoationSourceReadException(Exception):
     pass
@@ -198,10 +205,10 @@ def __read_syn_points(self, roi):
                 props["agent"] = str(node["Prop"]["agent"])
             if "flagged" in node["Prop"]:
                 str_value_flagged = str(node["Prop"]["flagged"])
-                props["flagged"] = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(str_value_flagged))
+                props["flagged"] = bool(strtobool(str_value_flagged))
             if "multi" in node["Prop"]:
                 str_value_multi = str(node["Prop"]["multi"])
-                props["multi"] = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(str_value_multi))
+                props["multi"] = bool(strtobool(str_value_multi))
 
             # create synPoint with information collected so far (partner_ids not completed yet)
             if kind == "PreSyn":