diff --git a/binder/environment.yml b/binder/environment.yml
index e4a4bcc4833..e7514eff05b 100644
--- a/binder/environment.yml
+++ b/binder/environment.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ dependencies:
 - textdistance >=4.2.0
 - three-merge >=0.1.1
 - watchdog >=0.10.3
+- importlib-metadata >=4.6.0
 
 # We can not refer to an environment.yml file from another
 # So to get performant launches on mybinder.org, we have copied
diff --git a/spyder/dependencies.py b/spyder/dependencies.py
index d4fb192413d..d7c272a6852 100644
--- a/spyder/dependencies.py
+++ b/spyder/dependencies.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
 # None for pynsist install for now
 # (check way to add dist.info/egg.info from packages without wheels available)
 WATCHDOG_REQVER = None if is_pynsist() else '>=0.10.3'
+IMPORTLIB_METADATA_REQVER = '>=4.6.0'
 
 
 # Optional dependencies
@@ -259,6 +260,10 @@
      'package_name': "watchdog",
      'features': _("Watch file changes on project directories"),
      'required_version': WATCHDOG_REQVER},
+    {'modname': 'importlib_metadata',
+     'package_name': 'importlib-metadata',
+     'features': _('Access the metadata for a Python package'),
+     'required_version': IMPORTLIB_METADATA_REQVER},
 ]