diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run_unit_tests.yml
index 22a48065..ac42522b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_unit_tests.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-22.04, windows-latest]
-        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, "3.10", 3.11]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, "3.10", 3.11, 3.12]
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4ce2b6bf..d24c84cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ but those functions and methods are pending deprecation.
 
 ### Changed
 
+- Python 3.12 is now supported.
 - Objects and relationships have been replaced by *entities*.
   Zero-dimensional entities correspond to objects while multidimensional entities to relationships.
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f4dd65bc..3969813e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ classifiers = [
     "License :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPLv3)",
     "Operating System :: OS Independent",
 ]
-requires-python = ">=3.8.1, <3.12"
+requires-python = ">=3.8.1"
 dependencies = [
     # v1.4 does not pass tests
     "sqlalchemy >=1.3, <1.4",
diff --git a/spinedb_api/helpers.py b/spinedb_api/helpers.py
index f2e92baa..44d12f06 100644
--- a/spinedb_api/helpers.py
+++ b/spinedb_api/helpers.py
@@ -886,3 +886,27 @@ def group_consecutive(list_of_numbers):
     for _k, g in groupby(enumerate(sorted(list_of_numbers)), lambda x: x[0] - x[1]):
         group = list(map(itemgetter(1), g))
         yield group[0], group[-1]
+
+
+_TRUTHS = {s.casefold() for s in ("yes", "true", "y", "t", "1")}
+_FALSES = {s.casefold() for s in ("no", "false", "n", "f", "0")}
+
+
+def string_to_bool(string):
+    """Converts string to boolean.
+
+    Recognizes "yes", "true", "y", "t" and "1" as True, "no", "false", "n", "f" and "0" as False.
+    Case insensitive.
+    Raises Value error if value is not recognized.
+
+    Args:
+        string (str): string to convert
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True or False
+    """
+    if string.casefold() in _TRUTHS:
+        return True
+    if string.casefold() in _FALSES:
+        return False
+    raise ValueError(string)
diff --git a/spinedb_api/import_mapping/import_mapping.py b/spinedb_api/import_mapping/import_mapping.py
index af20d677..8fc5b955 100644
--- a/spinedb_api/import_mapping/import_mapping.py
+++ b/spinedb_api/import_mapping/import_mapping.py
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@
 ######################################################################################################################
 """ Contains import mappings for database items such as entities, entity classes and parameter values. """
 
-from distutils.util import strtobool
 from enum import auto, Enum, unique
+
+from spinedb_api.helpers import string_to_bool
 from spinedb_api.mapping import Mapping, Position, unflatten, is_pivoted
 from spinedb_api.exception import InvalidMappingComponent
 
@@ -808,7 +809,7 @@ class ScenarioActiveFlagMapping(ImportMapping):
 
     def _import_row(self, source_data, state, mapped_data):
         scenario = state[ImportKey.SCENARIO_NAME]
-        active = bool(strtobool(str(source_data)))
+        active = string_to_bool(str(source_data))
         mapped_data.setdefault("scenarios", set()).add((scenario, active))
 
 
diff --git a/spinedb_api/import_mapping/type_conversion.py b/spinedb_api/import_mapping/type_conversion.py
index fea46b4b..5200ccaa 100644
--- a/spinedb_api/import_mapping/type_conversion.py
+++ b/spinedb_api/import_mapping/type_conversion.py
@@ -10,13 +10,11 @@
 # this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 ######################################################################################################################
 
-"""
-Type conversion functions.
-
-"""
+""" Type conversion functions. """
 
 import re
-from distutils.util import strtobool
+
+from spinedb_api.helpers import string_to_bool
 from spinedb_api.parameter_value import DateTime, Duration, ParameterValueFormatError
 
 
@@ -81,7 +79,7 @@ class BooleanConvertSpec(ConvertSpec):
     RETURN_TYPE = bool
 
     def __call__(self, value):
-        return self.RETURN_TYPE(strtobool(str(value)))
+        return self.RETURN_TYPE(string_to_bool(str(value)))
 
 
 class IntegerSequenceDateTimeConvertSpec(ConvertSpec):
diff --git a/tests/test_helpers.py b/tests/test_helpers.py
index 4ed0abf2..676c6d06 100644
--- a/tests/test_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/test_helpers.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     name_from_dimensions,
     name_from_elements,
     remove_credentials_from_url,
+    string_to_bool,
 )
 
 
@@ -75,5 +76,26 @@ def test_returns_latest_version(self):
         self.assertEqual(get_head_alembic_version(), "8b0eff478bcb")
 
 
+class TestStringToBool(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_truths(self):
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("yes"))
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("YES"))
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("y"))
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("true"))
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("t"))
+        self.assertTrue(string_to_bool("1"))
+
+    def test_falses(self):
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("NO"))
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("no"))
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("n"))
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("false"))
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("f"))
+        self.assertFalse(string_to_bool("0"))
+
+    def test_raises_value_error(self):
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, string_to_bool, "no truth in this")
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()