diff --git a/bloom/commands/release.py b/bloom/commands/release.py
index 06c5dbad..35837e00 100644
--- a/bloom/commands/release.py
+++ b/bloom/commands/release.py
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@
 import webbrowser
 import yaml
 
-from packaging import version
-
 # python2/3 compatibility
 try:
     from urllib.error import HTTPError, URLError
diff --git a/bloom/commands/update.py b/bloom/commands/update.py
index d300a1a9..692c849c 100644
--- a/bloom/commands/update.py
+++ b/bloom/commands/update.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 from bloom.util import add_global_arguments
 from bloom.util import handle_global_arguments
 
-from packaging import version
+from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 from threading import Lock
 
 _updater_running = False
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def fetch_update(user_bloom):
     newest_version = pypi_result['info']['version']
     current_version = bloom.__version__
     if newest_version and bloom.__version__ != 'unset':
-        if version.parse(bloom.__version__) < version.parse(newest_version):
+        if parse_version(bloom.__version__) < parse_version(newest_version):
             version_dict = {
                 'current': str(current_version),
                 'newest': str(newest_version)
diff --git a/bloom/generators/debian/generator.py b/bloom/generators/debian/generator.py
index 7bd50ad5..fe629c8d 100644
--- a/bloom/generators/debian/generator.py
+++ b/bloom/generators/debian/generator.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
 from dateutil import tz
-from packaging import version
+from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 
 from bloom.generators import BloomGenerator
 from bloom.generators import GeneratorError
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ def generate_substitutions_from_package(
         bad_changelog = True
     # Make sure that the current version is the latest in the changelog
     for changelog in changelogs:
-        if version.parse(package.version) < version.parse(changelog[0]):
+        if parse_version(package.version) < parse_version(changelog[0]):
             error("")
             error("There is at least one changelog entry, '{0}', which has a "
                   "newer version than the version of package '{1}' being released, '{2}'."
diff --git a/bloom/generators/release.py b/bloom/generators/release.py
index 1ffa0298..5eeb4a34 100755
--- a/bloom/generators/release.py
+++ b/bloom/generators/release.py
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
 
 try:
     import catkin_pkg
-    from packaging import version
-    if version.parse(catkin_pkg.__version__) < version.parse('0.3.8'):
+    from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
+    if parse_version(catkin_pkg.__version__) < parse_version('0.3.8'):
         warning("This version of bloom requires catkin_pkg version >= '0.3.8',"
                 " the used version of catkin_pkg is '{0}'".format(catkin_pkg.__version__))
     from catkin_pkg import metapackage
diff --git a/bloom/git.py b/bloom/git.py
index 3411b68e..6a0ea58f 100755
--- a/bloom/git.py
+++ b/bloom/git.py
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@
 from subprocess import PIPE
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 
-from packaging import version
-
 from bloom.logging import debug
 from bloom.logging import error
 from bloom.logging import fmt
@@ -687,7 +685,7 @@ def get_last_tag_by_version(directory=None):
     versions = []
     for line in output.splitlines():
         tags.append(line.strip())
-        ver = re.match("[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+", line)
+        ver = re.match(r"[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+", line)
         if ver:
             versions.append(ver)
     return tags[versions.index(max(versions))] if versions else ''
diff --git a/bloom/rosdistro_api.py b/bloom/rosdistro_api.py
index eea46189..b951952c 100644
--- a/bloom/rosdistro_api.py
+++ b/bloom/rosdistro_api.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 import sys
 import traceback
 
-from packaging import version
+from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 
 # python2/3 compatibility
 try:
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
 try:
     import rosdistro
-    if version.parse(rosdistro.__version__) < version.parse('0.7.0'):
+    if parse_version(rosdistro.__version__) < parse_version('0.7.0'):
         error("rosdistro version 0.7.0 or greater is required, found '{0}' from '{1}'."
               .format(rosdistro.__version__, os.path.dirname(rosdistro.__file__)),
               exit=True)