diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 010aac3e7..243068b7d 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ dependencies:
   - pytest-xdist
   - pytest-cov
   - pytest-rerunfailures
-  - pydantic >1
+  - pydantic >=1.10.17
   - pyyaml
   - coverage
   - cinnabar ~=0.4.0
diff --git a/openfe/protocols/openmm_afe/equil_afe_settings.py b/openfe/protocols/openmm_afe/equil_afe_settings.py
index c5512d532..1e45e007f 100644
--- a/openfe/protocols/openmm_afe/equil_afe_settings.py
+++ b/openfe/protocols/openmm_afe/equil_afe_settings.py
@@ -33,10 +33,7 @@
 )
 import numpy as np
 
-try:
-    from pydantic.v1 import validator
-except ImportError:
-    from pydantic import validator  # type: ignore[assignment]
+from pydantic.v1 import validator
 
 
 class AlchemicalSettings(SettingsBaseModel):
diff --git a/openfe/protocols/openmm_md/plain_md_settings.py b/openfe/protocols/openmm_md/plain_md_settings.py
index 9560ddb46..d627e268f 100644
--- a/openfe/protocols/openmm_md/plain_md_settings.py
+++ b/openfe/protocols/openmm_md/plain_md_settings.py
@@ -19,10 +19,7 @@
     SettingsBaseModel,
     OpenMMSystemGeneratorFFSettings
 )
-try:
-    from pydantic.v1 import validator
-except ImportError:
-    from pydantic import validator  # type: ignore[assignment]
+from pydantic.v1 import validator
 
 
 class PlainMDProtocolSettings(Settings):
diff --git a/openfe/protocols/openmm_rfe/equil_rfe_settings.py b/openfe/protocols/openmm_rfe/equil_rfe_settings.py
index 75aad2ad7..2bd6f0b00 100644
--- a/openfe/protocols/openmm_rfe/equil_rfe_settings.py
+++ b/openfe/protocols/openmm_rfe/equil_rfe_settings.py
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@
     OpenFFPartialChargeSettings,
 )
 
-try:
-    from pydantic.v1 import validator
-except ImportError:
-    from pydantic import validator  # type: ignore[assignment]
+from pydantic.v1 import validator
 
 
 class LambdaSettings(SettingsBaseModel):
diff --git a/openfe/protocols/openmm_utils/omm_settings.py b/openfe/protocols/openmm_utils/omm_settings.py
index 496016388..5c669b423 100644
--- a/openfe/protocols/openmm_utils/omm_settings.py
+++ b/openfe/protocols/openmm_utils/omm_settings.py
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@
 )
 
 
-try:
-    from pydantic.v1 import validator
-except ImportError:
-    from pydantic import validator  # type: ignore[assignment]
+from pydantic.v1 import validator
 
 
 class BaseSolvationSettings(SettingsBaseModel):