diff --git a/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-functional.yml b/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-functional.yml
index d2b5764dbf80..eacc95ae1617 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-functional.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-functional.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ jobs:
           xfslibs-dev libattr1-dev libacl1-dev libudev-dev libdevmapper-dev \
           libssl-dev libffi-dev libaio-dev libelf-dev libmount-dev \
           libpam0g-dev pamtester python-dev python-setuptools python-cffi \
-          python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi libcurl4-openssl-dev
+          python-packaging python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi \
+          libcurl4-openssl-dev python3-packaging
     - name: Autogen.sh
       run: |
         sh autogen.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-sanity.yml b/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-sanity.yml
index 9e2ed1b2f7cf..40a7f8ba511c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-sanity.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/zfs-tests-sanity.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ jobs:
           xfslibs-dev libattr1-dev libacl1-dev libudev-dev libdevmapper-dev \
           libssl-dev libffi-dev libaio-dev libelf-dev libmount-dev \
           libpam0g-dev pamtester python-dev python-setuptools python-cffi \
-          python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi libcurl4-openssl-dev
+          python-packaging python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi \
+          python3-packaging libcurl4-openssl-dev
     - name: Autogen.sh
       run: |
         sh autogen.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/zloop.yml b/.github/workflows/zloop.yml
index 30785b14507a..b3679e7f7f20 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/zloop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/zloop.yml
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ jobs:
           xfslibs-dev libattr1-dev libacl1-dev libudev-dev libdevmapper-dev \
           libssl-dev libffi-dev libaio-dev libelf-dev libmount-dev \
           libpam0g-dev \
-          python-dev python-setuptools python-cffi \
-          python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi
+          python-dev python-setuptools python-cffi python-packaging \
+          python3 python3-dev python3-setuptools python3-cffi python3-packaging
     - name: Autogen.sh
       run: |
         sh autogen.sh
diff --git a/config/always-pyzfs.m4 b/config/always-pyzfs.m4
index 76e07b593df2..fa39fd88519c 100644
--- a/config/always-pyzfs.m4
+++ b/config/always-pyzfs.m4
@@ -46,6 +46,21 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_ALWAYS_PYZFS], [
 	])
 	AC_SUBST(DEFINE_PYZFS)
 
+	dnl #
+	dnl # Python "packaging" (or, failing that, "distlib") module is required to build and install pyzfs
+	dnl #
+	AS_IF([test "x$enable_pyzfs" = xcheck -o "x$enable_pyzfs" = xyes], [
+		ZFS_AC_PYTHON_MODULE([packaging], [], [
+			ZFS_AC_PYTHON_MODULE([distlib], [], [
+				AS_IF([test "x$enable_pyzfs" = xyes], [
+					AC_MSG_ERROR("Python $PYTHON_VERSION packaging and distlib modules are not installed")
+				], [test "x$enable_pyzfs" != xno], [
+					enable_pyzfs=no
+				])
+			])
+		])
+	])
+
 	dnl #
 	dnl # Require python-devel libraries
 	dnl #
diff --git a/config/ax_python_devel.m4 b/config/ax_python_devel.m4
index faf6c2b0d7ef..fcf73dc20880 100644
--- a/config/ax_python_devel.m4
+++ b/config/ax_python_devel.m4
@@ -97,9 +97,18 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_PYTHON_DEVEL],[
 	# Check for a version of Python >= 2.1.0
 	#
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a version of Python >= '2.1.0'])
-	ac_supports_python_ver=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; \
-		ver = sys.version.split ()[[0]]; \
-		print (ver >= '2.1.0')"`
+	ac_supports_python_ver=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
+from __future__ import print_function;
+import sys;
+try:
+	from packaging import version;
+except ImportError:
+	from distlib import version;
+ver = sys.version.split ()[[0]];
+(tst_cmp, tst_ver) = ">= '2.1.0'".split ();
+tst_ver = tst_ver.strip ("'");
+eval ("print (version.LegacyVersion (ver)"+ tst_cmp +"version.LegacyVersion (tst_ver))")
+EOD`
 	if test "$ac_supports_python_ver" != "True"; then
 		if test -z "$PYTHON_NOVERSIONCHECK"; then
 			AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
@@ -126,9 +135,21 @@ to something else than an empty string.
 	#
 	if test -n "$1"; then
 		AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a version of Python $1])
-		ac_supports_python_ver=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; \
-			ver = sys.version.split ()[[0]]; \
-			print (ver $1)"`
+		# Why the strip ()?  Because if we don't, version.parse
+		# will, for example, report 3.10.0 >= '3.11.0'
+		ac_supports_python_ver=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
+
+from __future__ import print_function;
+import sys;
+try:
+	from packaging import version;
+except ImportError:
+	from distlib import version;
+ver = sys.version.split ()[[0]];
+(tst_cmp, tst_ver) = "$1".split ();
+tst_ver = tst_ver.strip ("'");
+eval ("print (version.LegacyVersion (ver)"+ tst_cmp +"version.LegacyVersion (tst_ver))")
+EOD`
 		if test "$ac_supports_python_ver" = "True"; then
 		   AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
 		else
diff --git a/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in b/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
index b1750942f53f..b073d68a46cf 100644
--- a/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
+++ b/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
@@ -306,6 +306,11 @@ Requires:       libffi
 Requires:       python%{__python_pkg_version}
 Requires:       %{__python_cffi_pkg}
 %if 0%{?rhel}%{?fedora}%{?suse_version}
+%if 0%{?rhel} >= 8 || 0%{?centos} >= 8 || 0%{?fedora} >= 28
+BuildRequires:  python3-packaging
+%else
+BuildRequires:  python-packaging
+%endif
 BuildRequires:  python%{__python_pkg_version}-devel
 BuildRequires:  %{__python_cffi_pkg}
 BuildRequires:  %{__python_setuptools_pkg}