diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/2.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/2.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..71dcd950db2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/2.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, zipp
+, pathlib2
+, contextlib2
+, configparser
+, isPy3k
+, importlib-resources
+, packaging
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "importlib-metadata";
+  version = "2.1.1";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    pname = "importlib_metadata";
+    inherit version;
+    sha256 = "1pdmsmwagimn0lsl4x7sg3skcr2fvzqpv2pjd1rh7yrm5gzrxpmq";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ setuptools-scm ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ zipp ]
+    ++ lib.optionals (!isPy3k) [ pathlib2 contextlib2 configparser ];
+
+  # Cyclic dependencies
+  doCheck = false;
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [ "importlib_metadata" ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Read metadata from Python packages";
+    homepage = "https://importlib-metadata.readthedocs.io/";
+    license = licenses.asl20;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/default.nix
index edab68aa18a..bdc1c2ec10d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/default.nix
@@ -1,42 +1,35 @@
 { lib
 , buildPythonPackage
 , fetchPypi
-, setuptools_scm
+, pythonOlder
+, setuptools-scm
+, toml
 , zipp
-, pathlib2
-, contextlib2
-, configparser
-, isPy3k
-, importlib-resources
-, packaging
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "importlib-metadata";
-  version = "1.7.0";
+  version = "3.7.2";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.6";
 
   src = fetchPypi {
     pname = "importlib_metadata";
     inherit version;
-    sha256 = "10vz0ydrzspdhdbxrzwr9vhs693hzh4ff71lnqsifvdzvf66bfwh";
+    sha256 = "1pmci5r6hgl3vj558mawclfq2d4aq584nsjvc1fqvyb921hgzm8q";
   };
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ setuptools_scm ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ setuptools-scm ];
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ zipp ]
-    ++ lib.optionals (!isPy3k) [ pathlib2 contextlib2 configparser ];
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ toml zipp ];
 
-  doCheck = false; # Cyclic dependencies.
-
-  # removing test_main.py - it requires 'pyflakefs'
-  # and adding `pyflakefs` to `checkInputs` causes infinite recursion.
-  preCheck = ''
-    rm importlib_metadata/tests/test_main.py
-  '';
+  # Cyclic dependencies due to pyflakefs
+  doCheck = false;
+  pythonImportsCheck = [ "importlib_metadata" ];
 
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "Read metadata from Python packages";
     homepage = "https://importlib-metadata.readthedocs.io/";
     license = licenses.asl20;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ fab ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python2-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python2-packages.nix
index b3c66289520..df19f516552 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python2-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python2-packages.nix
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ with self; with super; {
 
   imagecodecs-lite = disabled super.imagecodecs-lite;
 
+  importlib-metadata = callPackage ../development/python-modules/importlib-metadata/2.nix { };
+
   isort = callPackage ../development/python-modules/isort/4.nix { };
 
   jupyter_client = callPackage ../development/python-modules/jupyter_client/5.nix { };