diff --git a/clearml/backend_config/converters.py b/clearml/backend_config/converters.py
index 64aee770..0f2ee21e 100644
--- a/clearml/backend_config/converters.py
+++ b/clearml/backend_config/converters.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import base64
-from distutils.util import strtobool
 from typing import Union, Optional, Any, TypeVar, Callable, Tuple
 
 import six
@@ -14,6 +13,22 @@ except ImportError:
 ConverterType = TypeVar("ConverterType", bound=Callable[[Any], Any])
 
 
+def strtobool(val):
+    """Convert a string representation of truth to true (1) or false (0).
+
+    True values are 'y', 'yes', 't', 'true', 'on', and '1'; false values
+    are 'n', 'no', 'f', 'false', 'off', and '0'.  Raises ValueError if
+    'val' is anything else.
+    """
+    val = val.lower()
+    if val in ('y', 'yes', 't', 'true', 'on', '1'):
+        return 1
+    elif val in ('n', 'no', 'f', 'false', 'off', '0'):
+        return 0
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("invalid truth value %r" % (val,))
+
+
 def base64_to_text(value):
     # type: (Any) -> Text
     return base64.b64decode(value).decode("utf-8")