diff -Nru python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/changelog python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/changelog
--- python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/changelog	2018-12-16 12:01:28.000000000 +0000
+++ python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/changelog	2018-12-17 15:37:18.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+python-pyds9 (1.8.1-5) unstable; urgency=low
+
+  * Replace find_executable (not existing anymore) with shutil.which
+
+ -- Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org>  Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:37:18 +0100
+
 python-pyds9 (1.8.1-4) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * Fix Python 3 compatibility of CI test
diff -Nru python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/Replace-find_executable-not-existing-anymore-with-shutil..patch python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/Replace-find_executable-not-existing-anymore-with-shutil..patch
--- python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/Replace-find_executable-not-existing-anymore-with-shutil..patch	1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000
+++ python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/Replace-find_executable-not-existing-anymore-with-shutil..patch	2018-12-17 15:37:13.000000000 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+From: Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org>
+Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:37:09 +0100
+Subject: Replace find_executable (not existing anymore) with shutil.which
+
+---
+ pyds9.py | 6 +++---
+ 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/pyds9.py b/pyds9.py
+index bd9393a..fb2dbb2 100644
+--- a/pyds9.py
++++ b/pyds9.py
+@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import (print_function, absolute_import, division,
+                         unicode_literals)
+ 
+ import contextlib
+-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
++import shutil
+ import sys
+ import subprocess
+ import shlex
+@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ def get_xpans_ds9():
+     xpans_path = os.pathsep.join([pyds9_dir, xpa_dir, xpans_path])
+ 
+     # find the executables
+-    xpans = find_executable('xpans', path=xpans_path)
+-    ds9 = [find_executable('ds9')]
++    xpans = shutil.which('xpans', path=xpans_path)
++    ds9 = [shutil.which('ds9')]
+ 
+     # warning message in case ds9 and/or xpans is not found
+     ds9_warning = ("Can't locate DS9 executable. Please add the DS9 directory"
diff -Nru python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/series python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/series
--- python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/series	2017-02-03 16:12:22.000000000 +0000
+++ python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/series	2018-12-17 15:37:13.000000000 +0000
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 use-default-xpalib.patch
+Replace-find_executable-not-existing-anymore-with-shutil..patch
diff -Nru python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/use-default-xpalib.patch python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/use-default-xpalib.patch
--- python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/use-default-xpalib.patch	2017-02-03 16:12:22.000000000 +0000
+++ python-pyds9-1.8.1/debian/patches/use-default-xpalib.patch	2018-12-17 15:37:13.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
-Author: Ole Streicher <debian@liska.ath.cx>
-Description: Don't install and use the convienience copy provided in the
- source, but use the one installed by the "libxpa1" package.
+From: Ole Streicher <debian@liska.ath.cx>
+Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:33:29 +0100
+Subject: Don't install and use the convienience copy provided in the
+
+source, but use the one installed by the "libxpa1" package.
+---
+ setup.py | 7 +------
+ xpa.py   | 2 +-
+ 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
+index b7550ed..7548421 100644
 --- a/setup.py
 +++ b/setup.py
-@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
+@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ else:
  xpadir = 'xpa'
  
  
@@ -12,7 +21,7 @@
      curdir = os.getcwd()
      srcDir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), xpadir)
      os.chdir(srcDir)
-@@ -86,10 +86,5 @@
+@@ -86,10 +86,5 @@ setup(name='pyds9',
        author_email='saord@cfa.harvard.edu',
        url='http://hea-www.harvard.edu/saord/ds9/',
        py_modules=['pyds9', 'xpa'],
@@ -23,9 +32,11 @@
 -                'clean': my_clean},
        install_requires=['six']
        )
+diff --git a/xpa.py b/xpa.py
+index 822447f..284cccf 100644
 --- a/xpa.py
 +++ b/xpa.py
-@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
+@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def _find_shlib(_libbase):
          return _fname
      return None