diff --git a/mkdocs/plugins.py b/mkdocs/plugins.py
index 65631468..68a24e3b 100644
--- a/mkdocs/plugins.py
+++ b/mkdocs/plugins.py
@@ -5,10 +5,15 @@ Implements the plugin API for MkDocs.
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
+import sys
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, TypeVar, overload
 
-import importlib_metadata
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
+    from importlib.metadata import entry_points
+else:
+    from importlib_metadata import entry_points
+
 import jinja2.environment
 
 from mkdocs.config.base import BaseConfigOption, Config
@@ -23,7 +28,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger('mkdocs.plugins')
 def get_plugins():
     """Return a dict of all installed Plugins as {name: EntryPoint}."""
 
-    plugins = importlib_metadata.entry_points(group='mkdocs.plugins')
+    plugins = entry_points(group='mkdocs.plugins')
 
     # Allow third-party plugins to override core plugins
     pluginmap = {}
diff --git a/mkdocs/tests/plugin_tests.py b/mkdocs/tests/plugin_tests.py
index 81260f43..631cd30d 100644
--- a/mkdocs/tests/plugin_tests.py
+++ b/mkdocs/tests/plugin_tests.py
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ MockEntryPoint = mock.Mock()
 MockEntryPoint.configure_mock(**{'name': 'sample', 'load.return_value': DummyPlugin})
 
 
-@mock.patch('importlib_metadata.entry_points', return_value=[MockEntryPoint])
+@mock.patch('mkdocs.plugins.entry_points', return_value=[MockEntryPoint])
 class TestPluginConfig(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_plugin_config_without_options(self, mock_class):
 
diff --git a/mkdocs/tests/utils/utils_tests.py b/mkdocs/tests/utils/utils_tests.py
index a59ce5de..7f1f8f83 100644
--- a/mkdocs/tests/utils/utils_tests.py
+++ b/mkdocs/tests/utils/utils_tests.py
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ class UtilsTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(sorted(utils.get_theme_names()), ['mkdocs', 'readthedocs'])
 
-    @mock.patch('importlib_metadata.entry_points', autospec=True)
+    @mock.patch('mkdocs.utils.entry_points', autospec=True)
     def test_get_theme_dir(self, mock_iter):
 
         path = 'some/path'
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ class UtilsTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(KeyError):
             utils.get_theme_dir('nonexistanttheme')
 
-    @mock.patch('importlib_metadata.entry_points', autospec=True)
+    @mock.patch('mkdocs.utils.entry_points', autospec=True)
     def test_get_theme_dir_importerror(self, mock_iter):
 
         theme = mock.Mock()
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class UtilsTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ImportError):
             utils.get_theme_dir(theme.name)
 
-    @mock.patch('importlib_metadata.entry_points', autospec=True)
+    @mock.patch('mkdocs.utils.entry_points', autospec=True)
     def test_get_themes_warning(self, mock_iter):
 
         theme1 = mock.Mock()
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class UtilsTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(sorted(utils.get_theme_names()), sorted(['mkdocs2']))
 
-    @mock.patch('importlib_metadata.entry_points', autospec=True)
+    @mock.patch('mkdocs.utils.entry_points', autospec=True)
     def test_get_themes_error(self, mock_iter):
 
         theme1 = mock.Mock()
diff --git a/mkdocs/utils/__init__.py b/mkdocs/utils/__init__.py
index 7a575135..c365f877 100644
--- a/mkdocs/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/mkdocs/utils/__init__.py
@@ -12,13 +12,18 @@ import os
 import posixpath
 import re
 import shutil
+import sys
 import warnings
 from collections import defaultdict
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import PurePath
 from urllib.parse import urlsplit
 
-import importlib_metadata
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
+    from importlib.metadata import entry_points
+else:
+    from importlib_metadata import entry_points
+
 import yaml
 from mergedeep import merge
 from yaml_env_tag import construct_env_tag
@@ -307,7 +312,7 @@ def get_themes():
     """Return a dict of all installed themes as {name: EntryPoint}."""
 
     themes = {}
-    eps = set(importlib_metadata.entry_points(group='mkdocs.themes'))
+    eps = set(entry_points(group='mkdocs.themes'))
     builtins = {ep.name for ep in eps if ep.dist.name == 'mkdocs'}
 
     for theme in eps:
diff --git a/requirements/project-min.txt b/requirements/project-min.txt
index 6627b262..ce88eeae 100644
--- a/requirements/project-min.txt
+++ b/requirements/project-min.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PyYAML==5.1
 watchdog==2.0.0
 ghp-import==1.0
 pyyaml_env_tag==0.1
-importlib_metadata==4.3
+importlib_metadata==4.3; python_version < "3.10"
 packaging==20.5
 mergedeep==1.3.4
 babel==2.9.0
diff --git a/requirements/project.txt b/requirements/project.txt
index 37b8039d..b952b7ba 100644
--- a/requirements/project.txt
+++ b/requirements/project.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PyYAML>=5.1
 watchdog>=2.0.0
 ghp-import>=1.0
 pyyaml_env_tag>=0.1
-importlib_metadata>=4.3
+importlib_metadata>=4.3; python_version < "3.10"
 packaging>=20.5
 mergedeep>=1.3.4
 babel>=2.9.0
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4a008851..905d3518 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ setup(
         'watchdog>=2.0',
         'ghp-import>=1.0',
         'pyyaml_env_tag>=0.1',
-        'importlib_metadata>=4.3',
+        'importlib_metadata>=4.3; python_version < "3.10"',
         'packaging>=20.5',
         'mergedeep>=1.3.4'
     ],