diff --git a/NEWS.rst b/NEWS.rst
index 085a5305..850e8f00 100644
--- a/NEWS.rst
+++ b/NEWS.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+v7.1.0
+======
+
+Features
+--------
+
+- Improve import time (python/cpython#114664).
+
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- Make MetadataPathFinder.find_distributions a classmethod for consistency with CPython. Closes #484. (#484)
+- Allow ``MetadataPathFinder.invalidate_caches`` to be called as a classmethod.
+
+
 v7.0.2
 ======
 
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 134d7534..90a1da2a 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
                 url='https://peps.python.org/pep-{pep_number:0>4}/',
             ),
             dict(
-                pattern=r'(Python #|py-)(?P<python>\d+)',
+                pattern=r'(python/cpython#|Python #|py-)(?P<python>\d+)',
                 url='https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/{python}',
             ),
         ],
diff --git a/importlib_metadata/__init__.py b/importlib_metadata/__init__.py
index c68d8ad8..32ee3b4d 100644
--- a/importlib_metadata/__init__.py
+++ b/importlib_metadata/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import os
 import re
 import abc
-import csv
 import sys
 import json
 import zipp
@@ -19,7 +18,8 @@
 import posixpath
 import collections
 
-from . import _adapters, _meta, _py39compat
+from . import _adapters, _meta
+from .compat import py39
 from ._collections import FreezableDefaultDict, Pair
 from ._compat import (
     NullFinder,
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ def select(self, **params) -> EntryPoints:
         Select entry points from self that match the
         given parameters (typically group and/or name).
         """
-        return EntryPoints(ep for ep in self if _py39compat.ep_matches(ep, **params))
+        return EntryPoints(ep for ep in self if py39.ep_matches(ep, **params))
 
     @property
     def names(self) -> Set[str]:
@@ -522,6 +522,10 @@ def make_file(name, hash=None, size_str=None):
 
         @pass_none
         def make_files(lines):
+            # Delay csv import, since Distribution.files is not as widely used
+            # as other parts of importlib.metadata
+            import csv
+
             return starmap(make_file, csv.reader(lines))
 
         @pass_none
@@ -873,8 +877,9 @@ class MetadataPathFinder(NullFinder, DistributionFinder):
     of Python that do not have a PathFinder find_distributions().
     """
 
+    @classmethod
     def find_distributions(
-        self, context=DistributionFinder.Context()
+        cls, context=DistributionFinder.Context()
     ) -> Iterable[PathDistribution]:
         """
         Find distributions.
@@ -884,7 +889,7 @@ def find_distributions(
         (or all names if ``None`` indicated) along the paths in the list
         of directories ``context.path``.
         """
-        found = self._search_paths(context.name, context.path)
+        found = cls._search_paths(context.name, context.path)
         return map(PathDistribution, found)
 
     @classmethod
@@ -895,6 +900,7 @@ def _search_paths(cls, name, paths):
             path.search(prepared) for path in map(FastPath, paths)
         )
 
+    @classmethod
     def invalidate_caches(cls) -> None:
         FastPath.__new__.cache_clear()
 
@@ -992,7 +998,7 @@ def version(distribution_name: str) -> str:
 
 _unique = functools.partial(
     unique_everseen,
-    key=_py39compat.normalized_name,
+    key=py39.normalized_name,
 )
 """
 Wrapper for ``distributions`` to return unique distributions by name.
diff --git a/importlib_metadata/compat/__init__.py b/importlib_metadata/compat/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/importlib_metadata/_py39compat.py b/importlib_metadata/compat/py39.py
similarity index 82%
rename from importlib_metadata/_py39compat.py
rename to importlib_metadata/compat/py39.py
index fc6b8221..1f15bd97 100644
--- a/importlib_metadata/_py39compat.py
+++ b/importlib_metadata/compat/py39.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
     # Prevent circular imports on runtime.
-    from . import Distribution, EntryPoint
+    from .. import Distribution, EntryPoint
 else:
     Distribution = EntryPoint = Any
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def normalized_name(dist: Distribution) -> Optional[str]:
     try:
         return dist._normalized_name
     except AttributeError:
-        from . import Prepared  # -> delay to prevent circular imports.
+        from .. import Prepared  # -> delay to prevent circular imports.
 
         return Prepared.normalize(getattr(dist, "name", None) or dist.metadata['Name'])
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def ep_matches(ep: EntryPoint, **params) -> bool:
     try:
         return ep.matches(**params)
     except AttributeError:
-        from . import EntryPoint  # -> delay to prevent circular imports.
+        from .. import EntryPoint  # -> delay to prevent circular imports.
 
         # Reconstruct the EntryPoint object to make sure it is compatible.
         return EntryPoint(ep.name, ep.value, ep.group).matches(**params)
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 71b66b39..02d3c7e8 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ testing =
 	pyfakefs
 	flufl.flake8
 	pytest-perf >= 0.9.2
+	jaraco.test >= 5.4
 
 docs =
 	# upstream
diff --git a/tests/compat/__init__.py b/tests/compat/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/compat/py312.py b/tests/compat/py312.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea9a58ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compat/py312.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import contextlib
+
+from .py39 import import_helper
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def isolated_modules():
+    """
+    Save modules on entry and cleanup on exit.
+    """
+    (saved,) = import_helper.modules_setup()
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        import_helper.modules_cleanup(saved)
+
+
+vars(import_helper).setdefault('isolated_modules', isolated_modules)
diff --git a/tests/compat/py39.py b/tests/compat/py39.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16c8b574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compat/py39.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from jaraco.test.cpython import from_test_support, try_import
+
+
+os_helper = try_import('os_helper') or from_test_support(
+    'FS_NONASCII', 'skip_unless_symlink'
+)
+import_helper = try_import('import_helper') or from_test_support(
+    'modules_setup', 'modules_cleanup'
+)
diff --git a/tests/test_py39compat.py b/tests/compat/test_py39_compat.py
similarity index 95%
rename from tests/test_py39compat.py
rename to tests/compat/test_py39_compat.py
index 7e6235e4..549e518a 100644
--- a/tests/test_py39compat.py
+++ b/tests/compat/test_py39_compat.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import pathlib
 import unittest
 
-from . import fixtures
+from .. import fixtures
 from importlib_metadata import (
     distribution,
     distributions,
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@
 
 class OldStdlibFinderTests(fixtures.DistInfoPkgOffPath, unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        python_version = sys.version_info[:2]
-        if python_version < (3, 8) or python_version > (3, 9):
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
             self.skipTest("Tests specific for Python 3.8/3.9")
         super().setUp()
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index 7daae16a..f8082df0 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 import functools
 import contextlib
 
-from .py39compat import FS_NONASCII
+from .compat.py312 import import_helper
+from .compat.py39 import os_helper
 
 from . import _path
 from ._path import FilesSpec
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ def add_sys_path(dir):
     def setUp(self):
         super().setUp()
         self.fixtures.enter_context(self.add_sys_path(self.site_dir))
+        self.fixtures.enter_context(import_helper.isolated_modules())
 
 
 class SiteBuilder(SiteDir):
@@ -335,7 +337,9 @@ def record_names(file_defs):
 
 class FileBuilder:
     def unicode_filename(self):
-        return FS_NONASCII or self.skip("File system does not support non-ascii.")
+        return os_helper.FS_NONASCII or self.skip(
+            "File system does not support non-ascii."
+        )
 
 
 def DALS(str):
diff --git a/tests/py39compat.py b/tests/py39compat.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 926dcad9..00000000
--- a/tests/py39compat.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    from test.support.os_helper import FS_NONASCII
-except ImportError:
-    from test.support import FS_NONASCII  # noqa
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index 6e0b1da7..af79e698 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import importlib
 import importlib_metadata
 import contextlib
+from .compat.py39 import os_helper
+
 import pyfakefs.fake_filesystem_unittest as ffs
 
 from . import fixtures
@@ -396,6 +398,7 @@ def test_packages_distributions_all_module_types(self):
 
         assert not any(name.endswith('.dist-info') for name in distributions)
 
+    @os_helper.skip_unless_symlink
     def test_packages_distributions_symlinked_top_level(self) -> None:
         """
         Distribution is resolvable from a simple top-level symlink in RECORD.