diff --git a/config/python.m4 b/config/python.m4
index 1ef77a91dd..fa484b46a0 100644
--- a/config/python.m4
+++ b/config/python.m4
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ fi
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([Python configuration directory])
 python_majorversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import sys; print(sys.version[[0]])"`
 python_version=`${PYTHON} -c "import sys; print(sys.version[[:3]])"`
-python_configdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBPL'))))"`
+python_configdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBPL'))))"`
 python_includespec=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print('-I'+distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc())"`
 
 AC_SUBST(python_majorversion)[]dnl
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([PGAC_CHECK_PYTHON_EMBED_SETUP],
 [AC_REQUIRE([_PGAC_CHECK_PYTHON_DIRS])
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([how to link an embedded Python application])
 
-python_libdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBDIR'))))"`
-python_ldlibrary=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDLIBRARY'))))"`
-python_so=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('SO'))))"`
+python_libdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBDIR'))))"`
+python_ldlibrary=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDLIBRARY'))))"`
+python_so=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('SO'))))"`
 ldlibrary=`echo "${python_ldlibrary}" | sed "s/${python_so}$//"`
 
 if test x"${python_libdir}" != x"" -a x"${python_ldlibrary}" != x"" -a x"${python_ldlibrary}" != x"${ldlibrary}"
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ else
 	# Old way: use libpython from python_configdir
 	python_libdir="${python_configdir}"
 	# LDVERSION was introduced in Python 3.2.
-	python_ldversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDVERSION'))))"`
+	python_ldversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDVERSION'))))"`
 	if test x"${python_ldversion}" = x""; then
 		python_ldversion=$python_version
 	fi
 	python_libspec="-L${python_libdir} -lpython${python_ldversion}"
 fi
 
-python_additional_libs=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBS','LIBC','LIBM','BASEMODLIBS'))))"`
+python_additional_libs=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBS','LIBC','LIBM','BASEMODLIBS'))))"`
 
 AC_MSG_RESULT([${python_libspec} ${python_additional_libs}])
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index de9ba5af62..ebe69cdb38 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7302,7 +7302,7 @@ fi
 $as_echo_n "checking Python configuration directory... " >&6; }
 python_majorversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import sys; print(sys.version[0])"`
 python_version=`${PYTHON} -c "import sys; print(sys.version[:3])"`
-python_configdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBPL'))))"`
+python_configdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBPL'))))"`
 python_includespec=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print('-I'+distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc())"`
 
 # This should be enough of a message.
@@ -7313,9 +7313,9 @@ $as_echo "$python_configdir" >&6; }
 { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking how to link an embedded Python application" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking how to link an embedded Python application... " >&6; }
 
-python_libdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBDIR'))))"`
-python_ldlibrary=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDLIBRARY'))))"`
-python_so=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('SO'))))"`
+python_libdir=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBDIR'))))"`
+python_ldlibrary=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDLIBRARY'))))"`
+python_so=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('SO'))))"`
 ldlibrary=`echo "${python_ldlibrary}" | sed "s/${python_so}$//"`
 
 if test x"${python_libdir}" != x"" -a x"${python_ldlibrary}" != x"" -a x"${python_ldlibrary}" != x"${ldlibrary}"
@@ -7327,14 +7327,14 @@ else
 	# Old way: use libpython from python_configdir
 	python_libdir="${python_configdir}"
 	# LDVERSION was introduced in Python 3.2.
-	python_ldversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDVERSION'))))"`
+	python_ldversion=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LDVERSION'))))"`
 	if test x"${python_ldversion}" = x""; then
 		python_ldversion=$python_version
 	fi
 	python_libspec="-L${python_libdir} -lpython${python_ldversion}"
 fi
 
-python_additional_libs=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBS','LIBC','LIBM','BASEMODLIBS'))))"`
+python_additional_libs=`${PYTHON} -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(' '.join(filter(None,distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars('LIBS','LIBC','LIBM','BASEMODLIBS'))))"`
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: ${python_libspec} ${python_additional_libs}" >&5
 $as_echo "${python_libspec} ${python_additional_libs}" >&6; }