diff --git a/compliance_checker/cf/util.py b/compliance_checker/cf/util.py
index 35734acb..64a21c1a 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/cf/util.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/cf/util.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import importlib.resources
 import itertools
 import os
 import sys
@@ -7,7 +8,6 @@
 from cf_units import Unit
 from lxml import etree
 from netCDF4 import Dataset
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename
 
 # copied from paegan
 # paegan may depend on these later
@@ -284,9 +284,9 @@ def download_cf_standard_name_table(version, location=None):
     if (
         location is None
     ):  # This case occurs when updating the packaged version from command line
-        location = resource_filename(
-            "compliance_checker",
-            "data/cf-standard-name-table.xml",
+        location = (
+            importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+            / "data/cf-standard-name-table.xml"
         )
 
     if version == "latest":
diff --git a/compliance_checker/cfutil.py b/compliance_checker/cfutil.py
index b351a94b..22195a22 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/cfutil.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/cfutil.py
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 compliance_checker/cfutil.py
 """
 import csv
+import importlib.resources
 import re
 import warnings
 from collections import defaultdict
 from functools import lru_cache, partial
 
 from cf_units import Unit
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename
 
 _UNITLESS_DB = None
 _SEA_NAMES = None
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ def get_sea_names():
     if _SEA_NAMES is None:
         buf = {}
         with open(
-            resource_filename("compliance_checker", "data/seanames.csv"),
+            importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker") / "data/seanames.csv",
         ) as f:
             reader = csv.reader(f)
             for code, sea_name in reader:
diff --git a/compliance_checker/protocols/netcdf.py b/compliance_checker/protocols/netcdf.py
index 415a94ec..4943ac8a 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/protocols/netcdf.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/protocols/netcdf.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ def is_netcdf(url):
     :param str url: Location of file on the file system
     """
     # Try an obvious exclusion of remote resources
+    url = str(url)
     if url.startswith("http"):
         return False
 
diff --git a/compliance_checker/suite.py b/compliance_checker/suite.py
index d0e84769..c512f91b 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/suite.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/suite.py
@@ -765,12 +765,9 @@ def generate_dataset(self, cdl_path):
 
         :param str cdl_path: Absolute path to cdl file that is used to generate netCDF file
         """
-        if (
-            ".cdl" in cdl_path
-        ):  # it's possible the filename doesn't have the .cdl extension
-            ds_str = cdl_path.replace(".cdl", ".nc")
-        else:
-            ds_str = cdl_path + ".nc"
+        if isinstance(cdl_path, str):
+            cdl_path = Path(cdl_path)
+        ds_str = cdl_path.with_suffix(".nc")
 
         # generate netCDF-4 file
         iostat = subprocess.run(
diff --git a/compliance_checker/tests/__init__.py b/compliance_checker/tests/__init__.py
index d8060c2a..1d907517 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/tests/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from netCDF4 import Dataset
 
@@ -25,8 +26,8 @@ def load_dataset(self, nc_dataset):
         """
         Return a loaded NC Dataset for the given path
         """
-        if not isinstance(nc_dataset, str):
-            raise ValueError("nc_dataset should be a string")
+        if not isinstance(nc_dataset, (str, Path)):
+            raise ValueError("nc_dataset should be a valid path")
 
         nc_dataset = Dataset(nc_dataset, "r")
         self.addCleanup(nc_dataset.close)
diff --git a/compliance_checker/tests/conftest.py b/compliance_checker/tests/conftest.py
index 482bd814..f4002bc5 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
+import importlib.resources
 import os
 import subprocess
 from itertools import chain
-from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 from netCDF4 import Dataset
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename
 
 from compliance_checker.cf import util
 from compliance_checker.suite import CheckSuite
@@ -27,7 +26,9 @@ def static_files(cdl_stem):
     Returns the Path to a valid nc dataset\n
     replaces the old STATIC_FILES dict
     """
-    datadir = Path(resource_filename("compliance_checker", "tests/data")).resolve()
+    datadir = (
+        importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker").joinpath("tests/data").resolve()
+    )
     assert datadir.exists(), f"{datadir} not found"
 
     cdl_paths = glob_down(datadir, f"{cdl_stem}.cdl", 3)
diff --git a/compliance_checker/tests/resources.py b/compliance_checker/tests/resources.py
index 4bcf314c..67786179 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/tests/resources.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/tests/resources.py
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
-import os
+import importlib.resources
 import subprocess
 
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename
-
 
 def get_filename(path):
     """
     Returns the path to a valid dataset
     """
-    filename = resource_filename("compliance_checker", path)
-    nc_path = filename.replace(".cdl", ".nc")
-    if not os.path.exists(nc_path):
+    filename = importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker") / path
+    nc_path = filename.with_suffix(".nc")
+    if not nc_path.exists():
         generate_dataset(filename, nc_path)
     return nc_path
 
diff --git a/compliance_checker/tests/test_suite.py b/compliance_checker/tests/test_suite.py
index 54f49a95..0bbbc44d 100644
--- a/compliance_checker/tests/test_suite.py
+++ b/compliance_checker/tests/test_suite.py
@@ -1,35 +1,30 @@
+import importlib.resources
 import os
 import unittest
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import numpy as np
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename
 
 from compliance_checker.acdd import ACDDBaseCheck
 from compliance_checker.base import BaseCheck, GenericFile, Result
 from compliance_checker.suite import CheckSuite
 
 static_files = {
-    "2dim": resource_filename("compliance_checker", "tests/data/2dim-grid.nc"),
-    "bad_region": resource_filename("compliance_checker", "tests/data/bad_region.nc"),
-    "bad_data_type": resource_filename(
-        "compliance_checker",
-        "tests/data/bad_data_type.nc",
-    ),
-    "test_cdl": resource_filename("compliance_checker", "tests/data/test_cdl.cdl"),
-    "test_cdl_nc": resource_filename(
-        "compliance_checker",
-        "tests/data/test_cdl_nc_file.nc",
-    ),
-    "empty": resource_filename("compliance_checker", "tests/data/non-comp/empty.file"),
-    "ru07": resource_filename(
-        "compliance_checker",
-        "tests/data/ru07-20130824T170228_rt0.nc",
-    ),
-    "netCDF4": resource_filename(
-        "compliance_checker",
-        "tests/data/test_cdl_nc4_file.cdl",
-    ),
+    "2dim": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker") / "tests/data/2dim-grid.nc",
+    "bad_region": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/bad_region.nc",
+    "bad_data_type": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/bad_data_type.nc",
+    "test_cdl": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/test_cdl.cdl",
+    "test_cdl_nc": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/test_cdl_nc_file.nc",
+    "empty": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/non-comp/empty.file",
+    "ru07": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/ru07-20130824T170228_rt0.nc",
+    "netCDF4": importlib.resources.files("compliance_checker")
+    / "tests/data/test_cdl_nc4_file.cdl",
 }
 
 
@@ -95,9 +90,9 @@ def test_generate_dataset_netCDF4(self):
         # create netCDF4 file
         ds_name = self.cs.generate_dataset(static_files["netCDF4"])
         # check if correct name is return
-        assert ds_name == static_files["netCDF4"].replace(".cdl", ".nc")
+        assert ds_name == static_files["netCDF4"].with_suffix(".nc")
         # check if netCDF4 file was created
-        assert os.path.isfile(static_files["netCDF4"].replace(".cdl", ".nc"))
+        assert os.path.isfile(static_files["netCDF4"].with_suffix(".nc"))
 
     def test_include_checks(self):
         ds = self.cs.load_dataset(static_files["bad_data_type"])
@@ -242,7 +237,7 @@ def test_cdl_file(self):
             )
         ds.close()
 
-        nc_file_path = static_files["test_cdl"].replace(".cdl", ".nc")
+        nc_file_path = static_files["test_cdl"].with_suffix(".nc")
         self.addCleanup(os.remove, nc_file_path)
 
         # Ok the scores should be equal!