diff --git a/swift/common/manager.py b/swift/common/manager.py
index 03a87bbbd1..a512cd0d39 100644
--- a/swift/common/manager.py
+++ b/swift/common/manager.py
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ import subprocess
 import re
 import six
 import tempfile
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
+try:
+    from shutil import which
+except ImportError:
+    # py2
+    from distutils.spawn import find_executable as which
 
 from swift.common.utils import search_tree, remove_file, write_file, readconf
 from swift.common.exceptions import InvalidPidFileException
@@ -204,7 +208,7 @@ def verify_server(server):
     if not server:
         return False
     _, cmd = format_server_name(server)
-    if find_executable(cmd) is None:
+    if which(cmd) is None:
         return False
     return True
 
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_manager.py b/test/unit/common/test_manager.py
index f1784fc7fc..674f312dd0 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_manager.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_manager.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class TestManagerModule(unittest.TestCase):
             # pretend that swift-object-server is the only file on path
             return f if f == 'swift-object-server' else None
 
-        with mock.patch('swift.common.manager.find_executable',
+        with mock.patch('swift.common.manager.which',
                         side_effect=mock_find_exe):
             # test valid servers
             self.assertTrue(manager.verify_server('object'))
@@ -1725,7 +1725,7 @@ class TestManager(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertTrue(server.server in servers[:2])
 
     def test_iter(self):
-        with mock.patch.object(manager, 'find_executable', lambda x: x):
+        with mock.patch.object(manager, 'which', lambda x: x):
             m = manager.Manager(['all'])
             self.assertEqual(len(list(m)), len(manager.ALL_SERVERS))
             for server in m:
@@ -2348,7 +2348,7 @@ class TestManager(unittest.TestCase):
                 actual_servers.update([server.server for server in m.servers])
             self.assertEqual(expected_servers, actual_servers)
 
-        with mock.patch.object(manager, 'find_executable', lambda x: x):
+        with mock.patch.object(manager, 'which', lambda x: x):
             do_test(graceful=True)
             do_test(graceful=False)  # graceful is forced regardless