diff --git a/docs/source/async.rst b/docs/source/async.rst
index e37f4f97..d7bf12c2 100644
--- a/docs/source/async.rst
+++ b/docs/source/async.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ For example:
 
    @pytest.fixture
    def async_pg(pmr_postgres_config):
+       # or `URL.create` in sqlalchemy 1.4+
        create_async_engine(URL(host=pmr_postgres_config.host, database=pmr_postgres_config.database, ...))
 
 
diff --git a/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/__init__.py b/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/__init__.py
index a28b1803..392f0d89 100644
--- a/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from pytest_mock_resources.compat.import_ import ImportAdaptor
 
 # isort: split
-from pytest_mock_resources.compat import import_, sqlalchemy  # flake8: ignore
+from pytest_mock_resources.compat import sqlalchemy  # noqa
 
 try:
     import psycopg2
diff --git a/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/sqlalchemy.py b/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/sqlalchemy.py
index ed4ebed1..57ff3d19 100644
--- a/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/src/pytest_mock_resources/compat/sqlalchemy.py
@@ -1,10 +1,21 @@
+import sqlalchemy.engine.url
+
 from pytest_mock_resources.compat.import_ import ImportAdaptor
 
 try:
-    from sqlalchemy.ext import asyncio as asyncio  # type: ignore
+    from sqlalchemy.ext import asyncio  # type: ignore
 except ImportError:
-    asyncio = ImportAdaptor(  # type: ignore
+    asyncio = ImportAdaptor(
         "SQLAlchemy",
         "SQLAlchemy >= 1.4",
         fail_message="Cannot use sqlalchemy async features with SQLAlchemy < 1.4.\n",
     )
+
+URL = sqlalchemy.engine.url.URL
+try:
+    # Attempt to use the newly recommended `URL.create` method when available
+    URL = URL.create  # type: ignore
+except AttributeError:
+    # But if it's not available, the top-level contructor should still exist,
+    # as this is the only available option in sqlalchemy<1.4 versions.
+    pass
diff --git a/src/pytest_mock_resources/container/mysql.py b/src/pytest_mock_resources/container/mysql.py
index a990920a..ca83e108 100644
--- a/src/pytest_mock_resources/container/mysql.py
+++ b/src/pytest_mock_resources/container/mysql.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 import sqlalchemy
-from sqlalchemy.engine.url import URL
+from pytest_mock_resources import compat
 
 from pytest_mock_resources.config import DockerContainerConfig, fallback
 from pytest_mock_resources.container.base import ContainerCheckFailed, get_container
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def root_database(self):
 
 def get_sqlalchemy_engine(config, database_name, isolation_level=None):
     DB_URI = str(
-        URL(
+        compat.sqlalchemy.URL(
             "mysql+pymysql",
             username=config.username,
             password=config.password,
diff --git a/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/generic.py b/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/generic.py
index 49e31ae9..4137129f 100644
--- a/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/generic.py
+++ b/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/generic.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from sqlalchemy.engine.url import URL
+from pytest_mock_resources import compat
 
 
 class Credentials:
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def as_url(self):
 
     def as_sqlalchemy_url(self):
         """Return a sqlalchemy :class:`sqlalchemy.engine.url.URL`."""
-        return URL(
+        return compat.sqlalchemy.URL(
             drivername=self.drivername,
             host=self.host,
             port=self.port,
diff --git a/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/relational/generic.py b/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/relational/generic.py
index c787aa24..d90b5855 100644
--- a/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/relational/generic.py
+++ b/src/pytest_mock_resources/fixture/database/relational/generic.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import attr
 import six
 from sqlalchemy import MetaData
-from sqlalchemy.engine.url import URL
 from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base, DeclarativeMeta
 from sqlalchemy.orm import scoped_session, sessionmaker
 from sqlalchemy.sql.ddl import CreateSchema
@@ -200,7 +199,7 @@ async def manage_async(self, session=None):
             self.engine.dispose()
 
     def _get_async_engine(self, isolation_level=None):
-        url = URL(
+        url = compat.sqlalchemy.URL(
             drivername="postgresql+asyncpg",
             username=self.engine.pmr_credentials.username,
             password=self.engine.pmr_credentials.password,
diff --git a/tests/fixture/database/test_database.py b/tests/fixture/database/test_database.py
index e6620050..4234cde7 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/database/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/fixture/database/test_database.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import pytest
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine, text
-from sqlalchemy.engine.url import URL
 
 from pytest_mock_resources import (
+    compat,
     create_mysql_fixture,
     create_postgres_fixture,
     create_redshift_fixture,
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def test_create_custom_connection_from_dict(postgres_3):
 
 
 def test_create_custom_connection_url(postgres_3):
-    url = URL(**postgres_3.pmr_credentials.as_sqlalchemy_url_kwargs())
+    url = compat.sqlalchemy.URL(**postgres_3.pmr_credentials.as_sqlalchemy_url_kwargs())
     engine = create_engine(url, isolation_level="AUTOCOMMIT")
     engine.execute("select 1")