diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b1c40ca..a55d193 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ python:
     - "3.9"
     - "pypy3.5"
 install:
-    - pip install .[flake8]
+    - pip install .
     - pip install -r test_requirements.txt
 script:
     - make tests
diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index dcd5305..0c439da 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+5.0.0 (dev)
+-----------
+
+- Drop support for flake8 < 3.x (removes `flake8-polyfill` dependency), by
+  @joxl: #219
+
 4.5.2 (May 23, 2021)
 --------------------
 
diff --git a/Pipfile b/Pipfile
index 373ffea..29bef3c 100644
--- a/Pipfile
+++ b/Pipfile
@@ -12,4 +12,3 @@ pytest-mock = "*"
 [packages]
 mando = ">=0.3,<0.4"
 colorama = ">=0.3,<0.4"
-flake8-polyfill = "*"
diff --git a/radon/contrib/flake8.py b/radon/contrib/flake8.py
index c2391bc..2376f4d 100644
--- a/radon/contrib/flake8.py
+++ b/radon/contrib/flake8.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from flake8_polyfill import options
-
 from radon.complexity import add_inner_blocks
 from radon.visitors import ComplexityVisitor
 
@@ -20,19 +18,17 @@ def __init__(self, tree, filename):
         self.tree = tree
 
     @classmethod
-    def add_options(cls, parser):  # pragma: no cover
+    def add_options(cls, option_manager):  # pragma: no cover
         '''Add custom options to the global parser.'''
-        options.register(
-            parser,
+        option_manager.add_option(
             '--radon-max-cc',
             default=-1,
             action='store',
-            type='int',
+            type=int,
             help='Radon complexity threshold',
             parse_from_config=True,
         )
-        options.register(
-            parser,
+        option_manager.add_option(
             '--radon-no-assert',
             dest='no_assert',
             action='store_true',
@@ -40,8 +36,7 @@ def add_options(cls, parser):  # pragma: no cover
             help='Radon will ignore assert statements',
             parse_from_config=True,
         )
-        options.register(
-            parser,
+        option_manager.add_option(
             '--radon-show-closures',
             dest='show_closures',
             action='store_true',
diff --git a/radon/tests/run.py b/radon/tests/run.py
index dc6faed..27251b6 100644
--- a/radon/tests/run.py
+++ b/radon/tests/run.py
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import pytest
 
-    ret = pytest.main(['--strict'])
+    # see: https://docs.pytest.org/en/6.2.x/deprecations.html#the-strict-command-line-option
+    # This check can be removed once Python 2.x support is dropped as the new
+    # pytest option (--strict-markers) is available in pytest for all Python 3.x
+    from packaging import version
+    if version.parse(pytest.__version__) < version.parse('6.2'):
+        pytest_args = ['--strict']
+    else:
+        pytest_args = ['--strict-markers']
+
+    ret = pytest.main(pytest_args)
     exit(ret)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 32f142f..e25eb4b 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 mando>=0.6,<0.7
 colorama==0.4.1;python_version<='3.4'
 colorama>=0.4.1;python_version>'3.4'
-flake8_polyfill
 future
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9bc1dbc..b163157 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
           'colorama==0.4.1;python_version<="3.4"',
           'colorama>=0.4.1;python_version>"3.4"',
           'future',
-          'flake8-polyfill',
       ],
       entry_points={
           'console_scripts': ['radon = radon:main'],
diff --git a/test_requirements.txt b/test_requirements.txt
index fa82706..b49fd6f 100644
--- a/test_requirements.txt
+++ b/test_requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 coverage
 coveralls
-flake8-polyfill
 pytest>=5.0; python_version >= '3.0'
 pytest>=2.7; python_version < '3.0'
 pytest-mock