diff --git a/Tests/test_file_libtiff.py b/Tests/test_file_libtiff.py
index c26c503c4..4414dbe5e 100644
--- a/Tests/test_file_libtiff.py
+++ b/Tests/test_file_libtiff.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import base64
-import distutils.version
 import io
 import itertools
 import logging
@@ -272,12 +271,8 @@ class TestFileLibTiff(LibTiffTestCase):
             )
         }
 
-        libtiff_version = TiffImagePlugin._libtiff_version()
-
         libtiffs = [False]
-        if distutils.version.StrictVersion(
-            libtiff_version
-        ) >= distutils.version.StrictVersion("4.0"):
+        if Image.core.libtiff_support_custom_tags:
             libtiffs.append(True)
 
         for libtiff in libtiffs:
diff --git a/src/PIL/TiffImagePlugin.py b/src/PIL/TiffImagePlugin.py
index 47b69a003..fa8c852c2 100644
--- a/src/PIL/TiffImagePlugin.py
+++ b/src/PIL/TiffImagePlugin.py
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #
 # See the README file for information on usage and redistribution.
 #
-import distutils.version
 import io
 import itertools
 import os
@@ -264,10 +263,6 @@ def _limit_rational(val, max_val):
     return n_d[::-1] if inv else n_d
 
 
-def _libtiff_version():
-    return Image.core.libtiff_version.split("\n")[0].split("Version ")[1]
-
-
 ##
 # Wrapper for TIFF IFDs.
 
@@ -1559,11 +1554,10 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
             # Custom items are supported for int, float, unicode, string and byte
             # values. Other types and tuples require a tagtype.
             if tag not in TiffTags.LIBTIFF_CORE:
-                if TiffTags.lookup(tag).type == TiffTags.UNDEFINED:
-                    continue
-                if distutils.version.StrictVersion(
-                    _libtiff_version()
-                ) < distutils.version.StrictVersion("4.0"):
+                if (
+                    TiffTags.lookup(tag).type == TiffTags.UNDEFINED
+                    or not Image.core.libtiff_support_custom_tags
+                ):
                     continue
 
                 if tag in ifd.tagtype:
diff --git a/src/_imaging.c b/src/_imaging.c
index a55ebb64b..190b312bc 100644
--- a/src/_imaging.c
+++ b/src/_imaging.c
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@
 #include "zlib.h"
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBTIFF
+#ifndef _TIFFIO_
+#include <tiffio.h>
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #include "Imaging.h"
 
 #define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
@@ -3961,6 +3967,15 @@ setup_module(PyObject* m) {
   {
     extern const char * ImagingTiffVersion(void);
     PyDict_SetItemString(d, "libtiff_version", PyUnicode_FromString(ImagingTiffVersion()));
+
+    // Test for libtiff 4.0 or later, excluding libtiff 3.9.6 and 3.9.7
+    PyObject* support_custom_tags;
+#if TIFFLIB_VERSION >= 20111221 && TIFFLIB_VERSION != 20120218 && TIFFLIB_VERSION != 20120922
+    support_custom_tags = Py_True;
+#else
+    support_custom_tags = Py_False;
+#endif
+    PyDict_SetItemString(d, "libtiff_support_custom_tags", support_custom_tags);
   }
 #endif