diff --git a/configurations/utils.py b/configurations/utils.py
index da57a3f..1f618ee 100644
--- a/configurations/utils.py
+++ b/configurations/utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import inspect
 import sys
+import warnings
 
 from functools import partial
 from importlib import import_module
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@ def import_by_path(dotted_path, error_prefix=''):
 
     Backported from Django 1.6.
     """
+    warnings.warn("Function utils.import_by_path is deprecated in favor of "
+                  "django.utils.module_loading.import_string.", DeprecationWarning)
     try:
         module_path, class_name = dotted_path.rsplit('.', 1)
     except ValueError:
diff --git a/configurations/values.py b/configurations/values.py
index 0761c5d..2413a1a 100644
--- a/configurations/values.py
+++ b/configurations/values.py
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ import sys
 
 from django.core import validators
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError, ImproperlyConfigured
+from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
 
-from .utils import import_by_path, getargspec
+from .utils import getargspec
 
 
 def setup_value(target, name, value):
@@ -148,7 +149,11 @@ class CastingMixin:
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         if isinstance(self.caster, str):
-            self._caster = import_by_path(self.caster)
+            try:
+                self._caster = import_string(self.caster)
+            except ImportError as err:
+                msg = "Could not import {!r}".format(self.caster)
+                raise ImproperlyConfigured(msg) from err
         elif callable(self.caster):
             self._caster = self.caster
         else:
@@ -289,8 +294,8 @@ class BackendsValue(ListValue):
 
     def converter(self, value):
         try:
-            import_by_path(value)
-        except ImproperlyConfigured as err:
+            import_string(value)
+        except ImportError as err:
             raise ValueError(err).with_traceback(sys.exc_info()[2])
         return value
 
@@ -337,7 +342,11 @@ class ValidationMixin:
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         if isinstance(self.validator, str):
-            self._validator = import_by_path(self.validator)
+            try:
+                self._validator = import_string(self.validator)
+            except ImportError as err:
+                msg = "Could not import {!r}".format(self.validator)
+                raise ImproperlyConfigured(msg) from err
         elif callable(self.validator):
             self._validator = self.validator
         else:
diff --git a/docs/changes.rst b/docs/changes.rst
index b2cc925..67abf0e 100644
--- a/docs/changes.rst
+++ b/docs/changes.rst
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ unreleased
 
 - Add suppport for Python 3.9.
 
+- Deprecate ``utils.import_by_path`` in favor of
+  ``django.utils.module_loading.import_string``.
+
 v2.2 (2019-12-03)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^