diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index b11e60e9..ff4fee5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [
           "3.10",
           "3.11",
+          "3.12",
         ]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [
           "3.10",
           "3.11",
+          "3.12",
         ]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [
           "3.10",
           "3.11",
+          "3.12",
         ]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 4ff6274f..0657e603 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ repos:
     hooks:
       - id: black
   - repo: https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8
-    rev: "3.8.4"
+    rev: "7.1.1"
     hooks:
       - id: flake8
   - repo: https://github.com/timothycrosley/isort
diff --git a/crate/operator/__init__.py b/crate/operator/__init__.py
index 47fded89..cbe173ce 100644
--- a/crate/operator/__init__.py
+++ b/crate/operator/__init__.py
@@ -18,10 +18,18 @@
 # However, if you have executed another commercial license agreement
 # with Crate these terms will supersede the license and you may use the
 # software solely pursuant to the terms of the relevant commercial agreement.
-from pkg_resources import DistributionNotFound, get_distribution
 
 try:
-    __version__ = get_distribution("crate-operator").version
-except DistributionNotFound:
-    # package is not installed
-    pass
+    from importlib.metadata import PackageNotFoundError, version
+except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError):  # pragma:nocover
+    from importlib_metadata import (  # type: ignore[assignment,no-redef,unused-ignore]
+        PackageNotFoundError,
+        version,
+    )
+
+__appname__ = "crate-operator"
+
+try:
+    __version__ = version(__appname__)
+except PackageNotFoundError:  # pragma: no cover
+    __version__ = "unknown"
diff --git a/crate/operator/operations.py b/crate/operator/operations.py
index 14f34fff..27f611c5 100644
--- a/crate/operator/operations.py
+++ b/crate/operator/operations.py
@@ -505,12 +505,12 @@ async def restart_cluster(
     if next_pod_uid in all_pod_uids:
         # The next to-be-terminated pod still appears to be running.
         logger.info("Terminating pod '%s'", next_pod_name)
+        node_index = int(next_pod_name[next_pod_name.rindex("-") + 1 :])
+        node_progress = f"{node_index + 1}/{len(all_pod_uids)}"
         await send_operation_progress_notification(
             namespace=namespace,
             name=name,
-            message="Waiting for node "
-            f"{int(next_pod_name[next_pod_name.rindex('-')+1:])+1}/{len(all_pod_uids)}"
-            " to be terminated...",
+            message=f"Waiting for node {node_progress} to be terminated.",
             logger=logger,
             status=WebhookStatus.IN_PROGRESS,
             operation=WebhookOperation.UPDATE,
@@ -527,12 +527,12 @@ async def restart_cluster(
     elif next_pod_name in all_pod_names:
         total_nodes = get_total_nodes_count(old["spec"]["nodes"], "all")
         # The new pod has been spawned. Only a matter of time until it's ready.
+        node_index = int(next_pod_name[next_pod_name.rindex("-") + 1 :])
+        node_progress = f"{node_index + 1}/{len(all_pod_uids)}"
         await send_operation_progress_notification(
             namespace=namespace,
             name=name,
-            message="Waiting for node "
-            f"{int(next_pod_name[next_pod_name.rindex('-')+1:])+1}/{len(all_pod_uids)}"
-            " to be restarted...",
+            message=f"Waiting for node {node_progress} to be restarted.",
             logger=logger,
             status=WebhookStatus.IN_PROGRESS,
             operation=WebhookOperation.UPDATE,
diff --git a/crate/operator/utils/version.py b/crate/operator/utils/version.py
index 7f638729..061fe017 100644
--- a/crate/operator/utils/version.py
+++ b/crate/operator/utils/version.py
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@
 # software solely pursuant to the terms of the relevant commercial agreement.
 
 import re
-from distutils.version import Version
 from typing import Optional, Tuple, Union, cast
 
+from verlib2.distutils.version import Version
+
 
 class CrateVersion(Version):
     """Version numbering for CrateDB releases.
diff --git a/crate/operator/webhooks.py b/crate/operator/webhooks.py
index b4d51b76..041aab03 100644
--- a/crate/operator/webhooks.py
+++ b/crate/operator/webhooks.py
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 import aiohttp
 import kopf
 from aiohttp import TCPConnector
-from pkg_resources import get_distribution
 
+from crate.operator import __version__
 from crate.operator.utils.crd import has_compute_changed
 
 
@@ -225,11 +225,10 @@ def configure(self, url: str, username: str, password: str) -> None:
         :param password: All requests will include HTTP Basic Auth credentials.
             This is the password for that.
         """
-        version = get_distribution("crate-operator").version
         self._url = url
         self._session = aiohttp.ClientSession(
             headers={
-                "User-Agent": f"cratedb-operator/{version}",
+                "User-Agent": f"cratedb-operator/{__version__}",
                 "Content-Type": "application/json",
             },
             auth=aiohttp.BasicAuth(username, password),
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index aa123b42..401977bc 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import sys
 from typing import List
 
-from pkg_resources import get_distribution
+from crate.operator import __version__
 
 # Configuration file for the Sphinx documentation builder.
 #
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 copyright = "2020, Crate.io"
 author = "Crate.io"
 
-version = release = get_distribution("crate-operator").version
+version = release = __version__
 
 
 # -- General configuration ---------------------------------------------------
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     # undoc'd; https://docs.python.org/3/distutils/apiref.html#module-distutils.version
     ("py:class", "distutils.version.Version"),
     ("py:class", "prometheus_client.registry.Collector"),
+    ("py:class", "verlib2.distutils.version.Version"),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2855a5d0..21666d20 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ def read(path: str) -> str:
     install_requires=[
         "aiopg==1.4.0",
         "bitmath==1.3.3.1",
+        "importlib-metadata; python_version<'3.8'",
         "kopf==1.36.2",
         "kubernetes-asyncio==31.1.0",
         "PyYAML<7.0",
         "prometheus_client==0.21.1",
         "aiohttp==3.11.16",
+        "verlib2==0.3.1",
         "wrapt==1.17.2",
         "python-json-logger==3.3.0",
     ],
@@ -80,13 +82,14 @@ def read(path: str) -> str:
             "mypy==1.13.0",
         ],
     },
-    python_requires=">=3.10,<3.12",
+    python_requires=">=3.10,<3.13",
     classifiers=[
         "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
         "License :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software License",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
     ],
     use_scm_version=True,
 )
diff --git a/tests/test_change_compute.py b/tests/test_change_compute.py
index dfc6dc1a..6fd03d03 100644
--- a/tests/test_change_compute.py
+++ b/tests/test_change_compute.py
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ async def test_generate_body_patch(
     affinity = body["spec"]["template"]["spec"]["affinity"]
     tolerations = body["spec"]["template"]["spec"]["tolerations"]
     if new_cpu_request or new_memory_request:
-        assert type(affinity.node_affinity) == V1NodeAffinity
+        assert type(affinity.node_affinity) is V1NodeAffinity
         assert affinity.pod_anti_affinity == {"$patch": "delete"}
         assert len(tolerations) == 1
         assert tolerations[0].to_dict() == {
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ async def test_generate_body_patch(
             "value": "shared",
         }
     else:
-        assert type(affinity.pod_anti_affinity) == V1PodAntiAffinity
+        assert type(affinity.pod_anti_affinity) is V1PodAntiAffinity
         assert affinity.node_affinity == {"$patch": "delete"}
         assert len(tolerations) == 1
         assert tolerations[0].to_dict() == {