diff --git a/webapp/graphite/util.py b/webapp/graphite/util.py
index 1b5889026..bb46fa16c 100644
--- a/webapp/graphite/util.py
+++ b/webapp/graphite/util.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License."""
 
-import imp
+import importlib
 import io
 import json as _json
 import socket
@@ -145,12 +145,11 @@ def is_unsafe_str(s):
 
 def load_module(module_path, member=None):
   module_name = splitext(basename(module_path))[0]
-  try:  # 'U' is default from Python 3.0 and deprecated since 3.9
-    module_file = open(module_path, 'U')
-  except ValueError:
-    module_file = open(module_path, 'rt')
-  description = ('.py', 'U', imp.PY_SOURCE)
-  module = imp.load_module(module_name, module_file, module_path, description)
+  spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(module_name, module_path)
+  if spec is None:
+    raise IOError(f'file {module_path} not found')
+  module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+  spec.loader.exec_module(module)
   if member:
     return getattr(module, member)
   else: