diff --git a/sanic/server/loop.py b/sanic/server/loop.py
index d9be109d95..d41e605ecc 100644
--- a/sanic/server/loop.py
+++ b/sanic/server/loop.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import asyncio
 import sys
 
-from distutils.util import strtobool
 from os import getenv
 
 from sanic.compat import OS_IS_WINDOWS
 from sanic.log import error_logger
+from sanic.utils import str_to_bool
 
 
 def try_use_uvloop() -> None:
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def try_use_uvloop() -> None:
         )
         return
 
-    uvloop_install_removed = strtobool(getenv("SANIC_NO_UVLOOP", "no"))
+    uvloop_install_removed = str_to_bool(getenv("SANIC_NO_UVLOOP", "no"))
     if uvloop_install_removed:
         error_logger.info(
             "You are requesting to run Sanic using uvloop, but the "
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9ece8cb539..a8bd760a58 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 import re
 import sys
 
-from distutils.util import strtobool
-
 from setuptools import find_packages, setup
 from setuptools.command.test import test as TestCommand
 
@@ -37,6 +35,25 @@ def open_local(paths, mode="r", encoding="utf8"):
 
     return codecs.open(path, mode, encoding)
 
+def str_to_bool(val: str) -> bool:
+    val = val.lower()
+    if val in {
+        "y",
+        "yes",
+        "yep",
+        "yup",
+        "t",
+        "true",
+        "on",
+        "enable",
+        "enabled",
+        "1",
+    }:
+        return True
+    elif val in {"n", "no", "f", "false", "off", "disable", "disabled", "0"}:
+        return False
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid truth value {val}")
 
 with open_local(["sanic", "__version__.py"], encoding="latin1") as fp:
     try:
@@ -131,13 +148,13 @@ def open_local(paths, mode="r", encoding="utf8"):
 
 all_require = list(set(dev_require + docs_require))
 
-if strtobool(os.environ.get("SANIC_NO_UJSON", "no")):
+if str_to_bool(os.environ.get("SANIC_NO_UJSON", "no")):
     print("Installing without uJSON")
     requirements.remove(ujson)
     tests_require.remove(types_ujson)
 
 # 'nt' means windows OS
-if strtobool(os.environ.get("SANIC_NO_UVLOOP", "no")):
+if str_to_bool(os.environ.get("SANIC_NO_UVLOOP", "no")):
     print("Installing without uvLoop")
     requirements.remove(uvloop)