diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index 98f98d41..4608e72e 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def _save_cwd():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def distutils_managed_tempdir(request):
-    from distutils.tests.compat import py38 as os_helper
+    from test.support import os_helper
 
     self = request.instance
     self.tempdirs = []
diff --git a/distutils/compat/__init__.py b/distutils/compat/__init__.py
index e12534a3..c715ee9c 100644
--- a/distutils/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/distutils/compat/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from .py38 import removeprefix
-
 
 def consolidate_linker_args(args: list[str]) -> list[str] | str:
     """
@@ -12,4 +10,4 @@ def consolidate_linker_args(args: list[str]) -> list[str] | str:
 
     if not all(arg.startswith('-Wl,') for arg in args):
         return args
-    return '-Wl,' + ','.join(removeprefix(arg, '-Wl,') for arg in args)
+    return '-Wl,' + ','.join(arg.removeprefix('-Wl,') for arg in args)
diff --git a/distutils/compat/py38.py b/distutils/compat/py38.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 03ec73ef..00000000
--- a/distutils/compat/py38.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-import sys
-
-if sys.version_info < (3, 9):
-
-    def removesuffix(self, suffix):
-        # suffix='' should not call self[:-0].
-        if suffix and self.endswith(suffix):
-            return self[: -len(suffix)]
-        else:
-            return self[:]
-
-    def removeprefix(self, prefix):
-        if self.startswith(prefix):
-            return self[len(prefix) :]
-        else:
-            return self[:]
-
-else:
-
-    def removesuffix(self, suffix):
-        return self.removesuffix(suffix)
-
-    def removeprefix(self, prefix):
-        return self.removeprefix(prefix)
-
-
-def aix_platform(osname, version, release):
-    try:
-        import _aix_support  # type: ignore
-
-        return _aix_support.aix_platform()
-    except ImportError:
-        pass
-    return f"{osname}-{version}.{release}"
diff --git a/distutils/tests/compat/__init__.py b/distutils/tests/compat/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000
diff --git a/distutils/tests/compat/py38.py b/distutils/tests/compat/py38.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 211d3a6c..00000000
--- a/distutils/tests/compat/py38.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-# flake8: noqa
-
-import contextlib
-import builtins
-import sys
-
-from test.support import requires_zlib
-import test.support
-
-
-ModuleNotFoundError = getattr(builtins, 'ModuleNotFoundError', ImportError)
-
-try:
-    from test.support.warnings_helper import check_warnings
-except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
-    from test.support import check_warnings
-
-
-try:
-    from test.support.os_helper import (
-        rmtree,
-        EnvironmentVarGuard,
-        unlink,
-        skip_unless_symlink,
-        temp_dir,
-    )
-except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
-    from test.support import (
-        rmtree,
-        EnvironmentVarGuard,
-        unlink,
-        skip_unless_symlink,
-        temp_dir,
-    )
-
-
-try:
-    from test.support.import_helper import (
-        DirsOnSysPath,
-        CleanImport,
-    )
-except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
-    from test.support import (
-        DirsOnSysPath,
-        CleanImport,
-    )
-
-
-if sys.version_info < (3, 9):
-    requires_zlib = lambda: test.support.requires_zlib
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_bdist_rpm.py b/distutils/tests/test_bdist_rpm.py
index 1109fdf1..75051430 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_bdist_rpm.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_bdist_rpm.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 from distutils.tests import support
 
 import pytest
-
-from .compat.py38 import requires_zlib
+from test.support import requires_zlib
 
 SETUP_PY = """\
 from distutils.core import setup
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py b/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
index 8bd3cef8..0b4c4298 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 import path
 import pytest
 from test import support
-
-from .compat import py38 as import_helper
+from test.support import import_helper
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_extension.py b/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
index 41872e04..e51c1cd8 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 from distutils.extension import Extension, read_setup_file
 
 import pytest
-
-from .compat.py38 import check_warnings
+from test.support.warnings_helper import check_warnings
 
 
 class TestExtension:
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_filelist.py b/distutils/tests/test_filelist.py
index ec7e5cf3..fa3816ac 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_filelist.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_filelist.py
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
 
 import jaraco.path
 import pytest
-
-from .compat import py38 as os_helper
+from test.support import os_helper
 
 MANIFEST_IN = """\
 include ok
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_spawn.py b/distutils/tests/test_spawn.py
index fd7b669c..0f05c170 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_spawn.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_spawn.py
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@
 
 import path
 import pytest
-from test.support import unix_shell
-
-from .compat import py38 as os_helper
+from test.support import os_helper, unix_shell
 
 
 class TestSpawn(support.TempdirManager):
@@ -73,9 +71,12 @@ def test_find_executable(self, tmp_path):
         # PATH='': no match, except in the current directory
         with os_helper.EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
             env['PATH'] = ''
-            with mock.patch(
-                'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value=tmp_dir, create=True
-            ), mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', tmp_dir):
+            with (
+                mock.patch(
+                    'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value=tmp_dir, create=True
+                ),
+                mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', tmp_dir),
+            ):
                 rv = find_executable(program)
                 assert rv is None
 
@@ -87,9 +88,10 @@ def test_find_executable(self, tmp_path):
         # PATH=':': explicitly looks in the current directory
         with os_helper.EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
             env['PATH'] = os.pathsep
-            with mock.patch(
-                'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value='', create=True
-            ), mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', ''):
+            with (
+                mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value='', create=True),
+                mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', ''),
+            ):
                 rv = find_executable(program)
                 assert rv is None
 
@@ -103,16 +105,22 @@ def test_find_executable(self, tmp_path):
             env.pop('PATH', None)
 
             # without confstr
-            with mock.patch(
-                'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', side_effect=ValueError, create=True
-            ), mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', tmp_dir):
+            with (
+                mock.patch(
+                    'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', side_effect=ValueError, create=True
+                ),
+                mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', tmp_dir),
+            ):
                 rv = find_executable(program)
                 assert rv == filename
 
             # with confstr
-            with mock.patch(
-                'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value=tmp_dir, create=True
-            ), mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', ''):
+            with (
+                mock.patch(
+                    'distutils.spawn.os.confstr', return_value=tmp_dir, create=True
+                ),
+                mock.patch('distutils.spawn.os.defpath', ''),
+            ):
                 rv = find_executable(program)
                 assert rv == filename
 
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
index 50b66544..d8595445 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 from distutils.util import _clear_cached_macosx_ver
 
 import pytest
+from test.support.os_helper import EnvironmentVarGuard
 
 from . import support
-from .compat.py38 import EnvironmentVarGuard
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
@@ -272,13 +272,12 @@ def gcvs(*args, _orig=sysconfig.get_config_vars):
 
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
         sysconfig.get_config_vars = gcvs
-        with mock.patch.object(
-            self.cc, 'spawn', return_value=None
-        ) as mock_spawn, mock.patch.object(
-            self.cc, '_need_link', return_value=True
-        ), mock.patch.object(
-            self.cc, 'mkpath', return_value=None
-        ), EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
+        with (
+            mock.patch.object(self.cc, 'spawn', return_value=None) as mock_spawn,
+            mock.patch.object(self.cc, '_need_link', return_value=True),
+            mock.patch.object(self.cc, 'mkpath', return_value=None),
+            EnvironmentVarGuard() as env,
+        ):
             env['CC'] = 'ccache my_cc'
             env['CXX'] = 'my_cxx'
             del env['LDSHARED']
diff --git a/distutils/util.py b/distutils/util.py
index 609c1a50..22c3f832 100644
--- a/distutils/util.py
+++ b/distutils/util.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 from .spawn import spawn
 
 
-def get_host_platform():
+def get_host_platform() -> str:
     """
     Return a string that identifies the current platform. Use this
     function to distinguish platform-specific build directories and
@@ -34,15 +34,7 @@ def get_host_platform():
 
     # This function initially exposed platforms as defined in Python 3.9
     # even with older Python versions when distutils was split out.
-    # Now it delegates to stdlib sysconfig, but maintains compatibility.
-
-    if sys.version_info < (3, 9):
-        if os.name == "posix" and hasattr(os, 'uname'):
-            osname, host, release, version, machine = os.uname()
-            if osname[:3] == "aix":
-                from .compat.py38 import aix_platform
-
-                return aix_platform(osname, version, release)
+    # Now it delegates to stdlib sysconfig.
 
     return sysconfig.get_platform()