diff --git a/jupyter_console/completer.py b/jupyter_console/completer.py
index 6a38a6a..9fd5dc5 100644
--- a/jupyter_console/completer.py
+++ b/jupyter_console/completer.py
@@ -7,14 +7,7 @@
 from traitlets.config import Configurable
 from traitlets import Float
 
-import jupyter_client
-
-
-# jupyter_client 7.0+ has async channel methods that we expect to be sync here
-if jupyter_client.version_info >= (7,):
-    from jupyter_client.utils import run_sync
-else:
-    run_sync = lambda x: x
+from jupyter_client.utils import run_sync
 
 
 class ZMQCompleter(Configurable):
diff --git a/jupyter_console/ptshell.py b/jupyter_console/ptshell.py
index 08f0342..7650376 100644
--- a/jupyter_console/ptshell.py
+++ b/jupyter_console/ptshell.py
@@ -76,17 +76,7 @@
 from pygments.util import ClassNotFound
 from pygments.token import Token
 
-import jupyter_client
-
-
-# jupyter_client 7.0+ has async channel methods that we expect to be sync here
-# also, `block` was removed from `get_msg()`
-if jupyter_client._version.version_info[0] >= 7:
-    from jupyter_client.utils import run_sync
-    JUPYTER_CLIENT_7 = True
-else:
-    run_sync = lambda x: x
-    JUPYTER_CLIENT_7 = False
+from jupyter_client.utils import run_sync
 
 
 def ask_yes_no(prompt, default=None, interrupt=None):
@@ -752,8 +742,6 @@ def run_cell(self, cell, store_history=True):
 
     def handle_execute_reply(self, msg_id, timeout=None):
         kwargs = {"timeout": timeout}
-        if not JUPYTER_CLIENT_7:
-            kwargs["block"] = False
         msg = run_sync(self.client.shell_channel.get_msg)(**kwargs)
         if msg["parent_header"].get("msg_id", None) == msg_id:
 
@@ -794,8 +782,6 @@ def handle_is_complete_reply(self, msg_id, timeout=None):
         msg = None
         try:
             kwargs = {"timeout": timeout}
-            if not JUPYTER_CLIENT_7:
-                kwargs["block"] = True
             msg = run_sync(self.client.shell_channel.get_msg)(**kwargs)
         except Empty:
             warn('The kernel did not respond to an is_complete_request. '
@@ -852,11 +838,9 @@ def include_output(self, msg):
 
     async def handle_external_iopub(self, loop=None):
         while self.keep_running:
-            # we need to check for keep_running from time to time as
-            # we are blocking in an executor block which cannot be cancelled.
-            poll_result = await loop.run_in_executor(
-                None, self.client.iopub_channel.socket.poll, 500)
-            if(poll_result):
+            # we need to check for keep_running from time to time
+            poll_result = await self.client.iopub_channel.socket.poll(500)
+            if poll_result:
                 self.handle_iopub()
 
     def handle_iopub(self, msg_id=''):
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index dc37c8a..3ebf48e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9',
     ],
     install_requires=[
-        'jupyter_client',
+        'jupyter_client>=7.0.0',
         'ipython',
         'ipykernel',  # bless IPython kernel for now
         'prompt_toolkit>=2.0.0,<3.1.0,!=3.0.0,!=3.0.1',