diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/267-prepare_for_distutils_be_removed.yml b/changelogs/fragments/267-prepare_for_distutils_be_removed.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c73582f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/267-prepare_for_distutils_be_removed.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "Collection core functions - use vendored version of ``distutils.version`` included in ansible-core 2.12 if available. This avoids breakage when ``distutils`` is removed from the standard library of Python 3.12. Note that ansible-core 2.11, ansible-base 2.10 and Ansible 2.9 are right now not compatible with Python 3.12, hence this fix does not target these ansible-core/-base/2.9 versions (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.mysql/pull/267)."
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/replication.py b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/replication.py
index 7968e922..cee49677 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/replication.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/replication.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 __metaclass__ = type
 
 from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.mysql import get_server_version
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.version import LooseVersion
 
 
 def uses_replica_terminology(cursor):
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/user.py b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/user.py
index fa2cac6a..75791578 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/user.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mariadb/user.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.version import LooseVersion
 from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.mysql import get_server_version
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/replication.py b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/replication.py
index 2fd3d6c2..c5324da5 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/replication.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/replication.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 __metaclass__ = type
 
 from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.mysql import get_server_version
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.version import LooseVersion
 
 
 def uses_replica_terminology(cursor):
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/user.py b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/user.py
index ce7f5b8c..43e400ba 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/user.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/implementations/mysql/user.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.version import LooseVersion
 from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.mysql import get_server_version
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/version.py b/plugins/module_utils/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95f9b16c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Copyright: (c) 2021, Felix Fontein <felix@fontein.de>
+# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see COPYING or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+
+"""Provide version object to compare version numbers."""
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+from ansible.module_utils.six import raise_from
+
+try:
+    from ansible.module_utils.compat.version import LooseVersion
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+    except ImportError as exc:
+        msg = ('To use this plugin or module with ansible-core < 2.11, '
+               'you need to use Python < 3.12 with distutils.version present')
+        raise_from(ImportError(msg), exc)
diff --git a/plugins/modules/mysql_replication.py b/plugins/modules/mysql_replication.py
index f46721ad..981074fa 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/mysql_replication.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/mysql_replication.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@
     mysql_common_argument_spec,
 )
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from ansible_collections.community.mysql.plugins.module_utils.version import LooseVersion
 
 executed_queries = []