diff --git a/src/lib389/lib389/nss_ssl.py b/src/lib389/lib389/nss_ssl.py
index 9e4ac09f80..d5e5c4679a 100644
--- a/src/lib389/lib389/nss_ssl.py
+++ b/src/lib389/lib389/nss_ssl.py
@@ -23,16 +23,9 @@
 from lib389.passwd import password_generate
 from lib389._mapped_object_lint import DSLint
 from lib389.lint import DSCERTLE0001, DSCERTLE0002
-from lib389.utils import ensure_str, format_cmd_list
+from lib389.utils import ensure_str, format_cmd_list, DSVersion
 import uuid
 
-# Setuptools ships with 'packaging' module, let's use it from there
-try:
-    from pkg_resources.extern.packaging.version import LegacyVersion
-# Fallback to a normal 'packaging' module in case 'setuptools' is stripped
-except:
-    from packaging.version import LegacyVersion
-
 KEYBITS = 4096
 CA_NAME = 'Self-Signed-CA'
 CERT_NAME = 'Server-Cert'
@@ -249,7 +242,7 @@ def openssl_rehash(self, certdir):
             openssl_version = check_output(['/usr/bin/openssl', 'version']).decode('utf-8').strip()
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
             raise ValueError(e.output.decode('utf-8').rstrip())
-        rehash_available = LegacyVersion(openssl_version.split(' ')[1]) >= LegacyVersion('1.1.0')
+        rehash_available = DSVersion(openssl_version.split(' ')[1]) >= DSVersion('1.1.0')
 
         if rehash_available:
             cmd = ['/usr/bin/openssl', 'rehash', certdir]
diff --git a/src/lib389/lib389/tests/dsversion_test.py b/src/lib389/lib389/tests/dsversion_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a420067fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib389/lib389/tests/dsversion_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from lib389.utils import DSVersion
+import pytest
+
+versions = [('1.3.10.1', '1.3.2.1'),
+          ('2.3.2', '1.4.4.4'),
+          ('2.3.2.202302121950git1b4f5a5bf', '2.3.2'),
+          ('1.1.0a', '1.1.0')]
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("x,y", versions)
+def test_dsversion(x, y):
+    assert DSVersion(x) > DSVersion(y)
+
diff --git a/src/lib389/lib389/utils.py b/src/lib389/lib389/utils.py
index 5566184b0e..af77e519b7 100644
--- a/src/lib389/lib389/utils.py
+++ b/src/lib389/lib389/utils.py
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@ def wait(self):
 import subprocess
 import math
 import errno
-# Setuptools ships with 'packaging' module, let's use it from there
-try:
-    from pkg_resources.extern.packaging.version import LegacyVersion
-# Fallback to a normal 'packaging' module in case 'setuptools' is stripped
-except:
-    from packaging.version import LegacyVersion
 from socket import getfqdn
 from ldapurl import LDAPUrl
 from contextlib import closing
@@ -1218,6 +1212,76 @@ def generate_ds_params(inst_num, role=ReplicaRole.STANDALONE):
 
     return instance_data
 
+class DSVersion():
+    def __init__(self, version):
+        self._version = str(version)
+        self._key = _cmpkey(self._version)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self._version
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f"<DSVersion('{self}')>"
+
+    def __hash__(self):
+        return hash(self._key)
+
+    def __lt__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key < other._key
+
+    def __le__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key <= other._key
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key == other._key
+
+    def __ge__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key >= other._key
+
+    def __gt__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key > other._key
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, DSVersion):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._key != other._key
+
+
+def _parse_version_parts(s):
+    for part in re.compile(r"(\d+ | [a-z]+ | \. | -)", re.VERBOSE).split(s):
+
+        if not part or part == ".":
+            continue
+
+        if part[:1] in "0123456789":
+            # pad for numeric comparison
+            yield part.zfill(8)
+        else:
+            yield "*" + part
+
+def _cmpkey(version):
+    parts = []
+    for part in _parse_version_parts(version.lower()):
+        parts.append(part)
+
+    return tuple(parts)
+
 
 def get_ds_version(paths=None):
     """
@@ -1245,9 +1309,9 @@ def ds_is_related(relation, *ver, instance=None):
     if len(ver) > 1:
         for cmp_ver in ver:
             if cmp_ver.startswith(ds_ver[:3]):
-                return ops[relation](LegacyVersion(ds_ver),LegacyVersion(cmp_ver))
+                return ops[relation](DSVersion(ds_ver), DSVersion(cmp_ver))
     else:
-        return ops[relation](LegacyVersion(ds_ver), LegacyVersion(ver[0]))
+        return ops[relation](DSVersion(ds_ver), DSVersion(ver[0]))
 
 
 def ds_is_older(*ver, instance=None):