diff --git a/moby_distribution/registry/resources/image.py b/moby_distribution/registry/resources/image.py
index ab81ea0..3d91869 100644
--- a/moby_distribution/registry/resources/image.py
+++ b/moby_distribution/registry/resources/image.py
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List, Optional
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, __version__
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+
+try:
+    from pydantic import __version__ as pydantic_version
+except ImportError:
+    # pydantic <= 1.8.2 does not have __version__
+    from pydantic import VERSION as pydantic_version
 
 from moby_distribution.registry.client import DockerRegistryV2Client, default_client
 from moby_distribution.registry.resources import RepositoryResource
@@ -344,7 +350,7 @@ def image_json_str(self) -> str:
         if not self._dirty:
             return self._initial_config
         image_json = self.image_json
-        if __version__.startswith("2."):
+        if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
             return json.dumps(
                 image_json.model_dump(
                     mode="json", exclude_unset=True, exclude_defaults=True
diff --git a/tests/integration/resources/test_manifests.py b/tests/integration/resources/test_manifests.py
index 200642f..64e27c4 100644
--- a/tests/integration/resources/test_manifests.py
+++ b/tests/integration/resources/test_manifests.py
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from pydantic import __version__
+try:
+    from pydantic import __version__ as pydantic_version
+except ImportError:
+    # pydantic <= 1.8.2 does not have __version__
+    from pydantic import VERSION as pydantic_version
 from moby_distribution.registry.resources.manifests import ManifestRef, ManifestSchema1
 
 
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ def test_get_metadata(
     ):
         ref = ManifestRef(repo=repo, client=registry_client, reference=reference)
 
-        if __version__.startswith("2."):
+        if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
             dumped = json.dumps(
                 ref.get(media_type).model_dump(mode="json", exclude_unset=True),
                 indent=3,
diff --git a/tests/registry/test_auth.py b/tests/registry/test_auth.py
index f7cfad4..c4ae82e 100644
--- a/tests/registry/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/registry/test_auth.py
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
 import requests
 import requests_mock
 
-from pydantic import __version__
+try:
+    from pydantic import __version__ as pydantic_version
+except ImportError:
+    # pydantic <= 1.8.2 does not have __version__
+    from pydantic import VERSION as pydantic_version
 from moby_distribution.registry.auth import (
     DockerRegistryTokenAuthentication,
     HTTPBasicAuthentication,
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@ def mock_adapter():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def auth_response():
-    if __version__.startswith("2."):
+    if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
         return {
             "token": "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IlBZWU86VEVXVTpWN0pIOjI2SlY6QVFUWjpMSkMzOlNYVko6WEdIQTozNEYyOjJMQVE6WlJNSzpaN1E2In0.eyJpc3MiOiJhdXRoLmRvY2tlci5jb20iLCJzdWIiOiJqbGhhd24iLCJhdWQiOiJyZWdpc3RyeS5kb2NrZXIuY29tIiwiZXhwIjoxNDE1Mzg3MzE1LCJuYmYiOjE0MTUzODcwMTUsImlhdCI6MTQxNTM4NzAxNSwianRpIjoidFlKQ08xYzZjbnl5N2tBbjBjN3JLUGdiVjFIMWJGd3MiLCJhY2Nlc3MiOlt7InR5cGUiOiJyZXBvc2l0b3J5IiwibmFtZSI6InNhbWFsYmEvbXktYXBwIiwiYWN0aW9ucyI6WyJwdXNoIl19XX0.QhflHPfbd6eVF4lM9bwYpFZIV0PfikbyXuLx959ykRTBpe3CYnzs6YBK8FToVb5R47920PVLrh8zuLzdCr9t3w",
             "issued_at": "2009-11-10T23:00:00Z",
@@ -79,7 +83,7 @@ def test_authenticate(self, mock_adapter, auth_response):
 
         authed = auth.authenticate("username", "password")
         assert isinstance(authed, TokenAuthorizationProvider)
-        if __version__.startswith("2."):
+        if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
             assert (
                 authed.token_response.model_dump(mode="json", exclude_unset=True)
                 == auth_response
diff --git a/tests/spec/conftest.py b/tests/spec/conftest.py
index a5200e0..bfb64d3 100644
--- a/tests/spec/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/spec/conftest.py
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from pydantic import __version__
+try:
+    from pydantic import __version__ as pydantic_version
+except ImportError:
+    # pydantic <= 1.8.2 does not have __version__
+    from pydantic import VERSION as pydantic_version
 import pytest
 
 assets = Path(__file__).parent / "assets"
@@ -24,7 +28,7 @@ def oci_manifest_schema1_dict():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def auth_response():
-    if __version__.startswith("2."):
+    if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
         return json.loads((assets / "auth_response.pydantic_v2.json").read_text())
     else:
         return json.loads((assets / "auth_response.pydantic_v1.json").read_text())
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ def auth_response():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def image_json_dict():
-    if __version__.startswith("2."):
+    if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
         return json.loads((assets / "image_json.pydantic_v2.json").read_text())
     else:
         return json.loads((assets / "image_json.pydantic_v1.json").read_text())
diff --git a/tests/spec/test_image_json.py b/tests/spec/test_image_json.py
index 962f5a9..138a452 100644
--- a/tests/spec/test_image_json.py
+++ b/tests/spec/test_image_json.py
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 import json
 
-from pydantic import __version__
+try:
+    from pydantic import __version__ as pydantic_version
+except ImportError:
+    # pydantic <= 1.8.2 does not have __version__
+    from pydantic import VERSION as pydantic_version
 from moby_distribution.spec.image_json import ImageJSON
 
 
 def test_image_json(image_json_dict):
-    if __version__.startswith("2."):
+    if pydantic_version.startswith("2."):
         assert (
             ImageJSON(**image_json_dict).model_dump(mode="json", exclude_unset=True)
             == image_json_dict