diff --git a/lib/core/compat.py b/lib/core/compat.py
index 7275ea07d..6a7a40769 100644
--- a/lib/core/compat.py
+++ b/lib/core/compat.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import functools
 import math
 import os
 import random
+import re
 import sys
 import time
 import uuid
@@ -277,8 +278,37 @@ else:
     xrange = xrange
     buffer = buffer
 
-try:
-    from packaging import version
-    LooseVersion = version.parse
-except ImportError:
-    from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+def LooseVersion(version):
+    """
+    >>> LooseVersion("1.0") == LooseVersion("1.0")
+    True
+    >>> LooseVersion("1.0.1") > LooseVersion("1.0")
+    True
+    >>> LooseVersion("1.0.1-") == LooseVersion("1.0.1")
+    True
+    >>> LooseVersion("1.0.11") < LooseVersion("1.0.111")
+    True
+    >>> LooseVersion("foobar") > LooseVersion("1.0")
+    False
+    >>> LooseVersion("1.0") > LooseVersion("foobar")
+    False
+    >>> LooseVersion("3.22-mysql") == LooseVersion("3.22-mysql-ubuntu0.3")
+    True
+    >>> LooseVersion("8.0.22-0ubuntu0.20.04.2")
+    8.000022
+    """
+
+    match = re.search(r"\A(\d[\d.]*)", version or "")
+
+    if match:
+        result = 0
+        value = match.group(1)
+        weight = 1.0
+        for part in value.strip('.').split('.'):
+            if part.isdigit():
+                result += int(part) * weight
+            weight *= 1e-3
+    else:
+        result = float("NaN")
+
+    return result
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index ff2595d5f..7e034673f 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from thirdparty import six
 from thirdparty.six import unichr as _unichr
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.6.12.8"
+VERSION = "1.6.12.9"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)