diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index ca97e077a..b04b37353 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ python-openstackclient>=5.2.0 # Apache-2.0
 simplejson>=3.5.1 # MIT
 six>=1.10.0 # MIT
 osc-lib>=2.3.0 # Apache-2.0
-tripleo-common>=12.7.0 # Apache-2.0
+tripleo-common>=16.0.0 # Apache-2.0
 cryptography>=2.1 # BSD/Apache-2.0
 ansible-runner>=1.4.5 # Apache 2.0
 validations-libs>=1.0.0
diff --git a/tripleoclient/utils.py b/tripleoclient/utils.py
index 3bcb7e80b..fec10d553 100644
--- a/tripleoclient/utils.py
+++ b/tripleoclient/utils.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ from tenacity import retry
 from tenacity.stop import stop_after_attempt, stop_after_delay
 from tenacity.wait import wait_fixed
 
+from tripleo_common.utils import heat as tc_heat_utils
 from tripleo_common.utils import stack as stack_utils
 from tripleo_common import update
 from tripleoclient import constants
@@ -71,14 +72,6 @@ from tripleoclient import exceptions
 from tripleoclient import export
 from tripleoclient import heat_launcher
 
-try:
-    # TODO(slagle): the try/except can be removed once tripleo_common is
-    # released with
-    # https://review.opendev.org/c/openstack/tripleo-common/+/787819
-    from tripleo_common.utils import heat as tc_heat_utils
-except ImportError:
-    tc_heat_utils = None
-
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__ + ".utils")
 _local_orchestration_client = None
@@ -2585,11 +2578,6 @@ def write_user_environment(env_map, abs_env_path, tht_root,
 
 def launch_heat(launcher=None, restore_db=False):
 
-    if not tc_heat_utils:
-        msg = "tripleo-common too old to use ephemeral Heat"
-        LOG.error(msg)
-        raise Exception(msg)
-
     global _local_orchestration_client
     global _heat_pid
 
diff --git a/tripleoclient/workflows/deployment.py b/tripleoclient/workflows/deployment.py
index cab23581d..e32ed1cb9 100644
--- a/tripleoclient/workflows/deployment.py
+++ b/tripleoclient/workflows/deployment.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import yaml
 from heatclient.common import event_utils
 from heatclient import exc as heat_exc
 from openstackclient import shell
+from tripleo_common.utils import heat as tc_heat_utils
 from tripleo_common.utils import overcloudrc as rc_utils
 from tripleo_common.utils.safe_import import git
 
@@ -28,13 +29,6 @@ from tripleoclient.constants import DEFAULT_WORK_DIR
 from tripleoclient import exceptions
 from tripleoclient import utils
 
-try:
-    # TODO(slagle): the try/except can be removed once tripleo_common is
-    # released with
-    # https://review.opendev.org/c/openstack/tripleo-common/+/787819
-    from tripleo_common.utils import heat as tc_heat_utils
-except ImportError:
-    tc_heat_utils = None
 
 _WORKFLOW_TIMEOUT = 360  # 6 * 60 seconds