diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 8215430ff..5706d61c1 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
         "Intended Audience :: Science/Research",
         "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License",
         "Natural Language :: English",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7",
         "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Bio-Informatics",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/snakemake/common/__init__.py b/snakemake/common/__init__.py
index 852abd70d..3119ec81c 100644
--- a/snakemake/common/__init__.py
+++ b/snakemake/common/__init__.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 del get_versions
 
 
-MIN_PY_VERSION = (3, 5)
+MIN_PY_VERSION = (3, 7)
 DYNAMIC_FILL = "__snakemake_dynamic__"
 SNAKEMAKE_SEARCHPATH = str(Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent)
 UUID_NAMESPACE = uuid.uuid5(uuid.NAMESPACE_URL, "https://snakemake.readthedocs.io")
@@ -32,30 +32,19 @@
 ON_WINDOWS = platform.system() == "Windows"
 
 
-if sys.version_info < (3, 7):
-
-    def async_run(coroutine):
-        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
-        return loop.run_until_complete(coroutine)
-
-else:
-
-    def async_run(coroutine):
-        """Attaches to running event loop or creates a new one to execute a
-        coroutine.
-
-        .. seealso::
-
-             https://github.com/snakemake/snakemake/issues/1105
-             https://stackoverflow.com/a/65696398
-
-        """
-        try:
-            _ = asyncio.get_running_loop()
-        except RuntimeError:
-            asyncio.run(coroutine)
-        else:
-            asyncio.create_task(coroutine)
+def async_run(coroutine):
+    """Attaches to running event loop or creates a new one to execute a
+    coroutine.
+    .. seealso::
+         https://github.com/snakemake/snakemake/issues/1105
+         https://stackoverflow.com/a/65696398
+    """
+    try:
+        _ = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    except RuntimeError:
+        asyncio.run(coroutine)
+    else:
+        asyncio.create_task(coroutine)
 
 
 # A string that prints as TBD
diff --git a/tests/testapi.py b/tests/testapi.py
index 925a21534..b06a0b9d5 100644
--- a/tests/testapi.py
+++ b/tests/testapi.py
@@ -53,10 +53,7 @@ async def main():
         async_run(dummy_task())
         test_run_script_directive()
 
-    if sys.version_info < (3, 7):
-        async_run(main())
-    else:
-        asyncio.run(main())
+    asyncio.run(main())
 
 
 def test_dicts_in_config():