diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0d05fbf2..eaa706ed 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ For **package developers** including sample data in their projects:
 """
 Module mypackage/datasets.py
 """
-import pkg_resources
+from importlib import resources
 import pandas
 import pooch
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ GOODBOY = pooch.create(
 # manage large numbers of data files. The registry file should be packaged
 # and distributed with your software.
 GOODBOY.load_registry(
-    pkg_resources.resource_stream("mypackage", "registry.txt")
+    resources.open_text("mypackage", "registry.txt")
 )
 
 # Define functions that your users can call to get back the data in memory
diff --git a/doc/registry-files.rst b/doc/registry-files.rst
index 571a146e..b9d10b16 100644
--- a/doc/registry-files.rst
+++ b/doc/registry-files.rst
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ hashes in a file and use :meth:`pooch.Pooch.load_registry` to read them.
 .. code:: python
 
     import os
-    import pkg_resources
+    from importlib import resources
 
     POOCH = pooch.create(
         path=pooch.os_cache("plumbus"),
@@ -24,14 +24,15 @@ hashes in a file and use :meth:`pooch.Pooch.load_registry` to read them.
         registry=None,
     )
     # Get registry file from package_data
-    registry_file = pkg_resources.resource_stream("plumbus", "registry.txt")
+    registry_file = resources.open_text("plumbus", "registry.txt")
     # Load this registry file
     POOCH.load_registry(registry_file)
 
 In this case, the ``registry.txt`` file is in the ``plumbus/`` package
 directory and should be shipped with the package (see below for instructions).
-We use `pkg_resources <https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html#basic-resource-access>`__
-to access the ``registry.txt``, giving it the name of our Python package.
+We use `importlib.resources
+<https://docs.python.org/3/library/importlib.resources.html>`__ to access the
+``registry.txt``, giving it the name of our Python package.
 
 Registry file format
 --------------------