diff --git a/python-rospkg-1.2.3-distro-dep.patch b/python-rospkg-1.2.3-distro-dep.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4ae779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-rospkg-1.2.3-distro-dep.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+From f3c8e8eacc4e1f5d53c79fb79bdb75e5bcce8faf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Scott K Logan <logans@cottsay.net>
+Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 14:30:24 -0700
+Subject: [PATCH] Ensure 'distro' dependency is absent for python < 3.8 (#196)
+
+* Ensure 'distro' dependency is absent for python < 3.8
+
+This approach aligns with the existing approach for `argparse`, while
+still maintaining the current behavior when
+`SKIP_PYTHON_{MODULE,SCRIPTS}` is specified.
+
+This is a generalized solution to the change made in
+e7a154999ffe986b83b4550c516c1b8a79b35142
+
+* keep distro for Python 3.8 modules Debian package
+
+* can't list distro as a dependency in the Debian packages since the same package is used across multiple Python versions
+
+Co-authored-by: Dirk Thomas <dirk-thomas@users.noreply.github.com>
+---
+ setup.py | 18 +++++++++---------
+ 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
+index 19ee4bc..ab629ff 100755
+--- a/setup.py
++++ b/setup.py
+@@ -5,14 +5,6 @@
+ 
+ from setuptools import setup
+ 
+-install_requires = ['catkin_pkg', 'PyYAML']
+-
+-if (
+-    'SKIP_PYTHON_MODULES' not in os.environ and
+-    'SKIP_PYTHON_SCRIPTS' not in os.environ
+-):
+-    install_requires.append('distro')
+-
+ kwargs = {
+     'name': 'rospkg',
+     # same version as in:
+@@ -24,7 +16,7 @@
+     'entry_points': {
+         'console_scripts': ['rosversion=rospkg.rosversion:main'],
+     },
+-    'install_requires': install_requires,
++    'install_requires': ['catkin_pkg', 'distro', 'PyYAML'],
+     'author': 'Ken Conley',
+     'author_email': 'kwc@willowgarage.com',
+     'url': 'http://wiki.ros.org/rospkg',
+@@ -42,6 +34,14 @@
+ if sys.version_info[0] == 2 and sys.version_info[1] < 7:
+     kwargs['install_requires'].append('argparse')
+ 
++if (
++    sys.version_info[0] < 3 or
++    (sys.version_info[0] == 3 and sys.version_info[1] < 8) or
++    'SKIP_PYTHON_MODULES' in os.environ or
++    'SKIP_PYTHON_SCRIPTS' in os.environ
++):
++    kwargs['install_requires'].remove('distro')
++
+ if 'SKIP_PYTHON_MODULES' in os.environ:
+     kwargs['packages'] = []
+     kwargs['package_dir'] = {}
diff --git a/python-rospkg.rpmlintrc b/python-rospkg.rpmlintrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..501e5e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-rospkg.rpmlintrc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# MANUAL PAGES
+addFilter(r'no-manual-page-for-binary python3-rosversion$')
diff --git a/python-rospkg.spec b/python-rospkg.spec
index 80160af..9d4470b 100644
--- a/python-rospkg.spec
+++ b/python-rospkg.spec
@@ -5,13 +5,16 @@
 
 Name:           python-%{srcname}
 Version:        1.2.4
-Release:        1%{?dist}
+Release:        2%{?dist}
 Summary:        Utilities for ROS package, stack, and distribution information
 
 License:        BSD
 URL:            http://ros.org/wiki/rospkg
 Source0:        https://github.com/ros-infrastructure/%{srcname}/archive/%{version}/%{srcname}-%{version}.tar.gz
 
+# Merged upstream as ros-infrastructure/rospkg#196
+Patch0:         %{name}-1.2.3-distro-dep.patch
+
 BuildArch:      noarch
 
 %description
@@ -172,6 +175,9 @@ PYTHONPATH=%{buildroot}%{python3_sitelib} \
 
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Apr 20 2020 Scott K Logan <logans@cottsay.net> - 1.2.4-2
+- Add upstream patch for distro dependency
+
 * Wed Apr 15 2020 Scott K Logan <logans@cottsay.net> - 1.2.4-1
 - Update to 1.2.4 (rhbz#1775451)