diff --git a/pygeoapi/api.py b/pygeoapi/api.py
index 7a12032..1e139f2 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/api.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/api.py
@@ -358,18 +358,14 @@ class APIRequest:
                 # Set data from Django request
                 api_req._data = request.body
             else:
-                try:
-                    import nest_asyncio
-                    nest_asyncio.apply()
-                    # Set data from Starlette request after async
-                    # coroutine completion
-                    # TODO:
-                    # this now blocks, but once Flask v2 with async support
-                    # has been implemented, with_data() can become async too
-                    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
-                    api_req._data = loop.run_until_complete(request.body())
-                except ModuleNotFoundError:
-                    LOGGER.error('Module nest-asyncio not found')
+                # Set data from Starlette request after async
+                # coroutine completion
+                # TODO:
+                # this now blocks, but once Flask v2 with async support
+                # has been implemented, with_data() can become async too
+                loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+                api_req._data = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(
+                    request.body(), loop)
         return api_req
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/requirements-starlette.txt b/requirements-starlette.txt
index b0ed6cc..35e6425 100644
--- a/requirements-starlette.txt
+++ b/requirements-starlette.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 aiofiles
 starlette
 uvicorn[standard]
-nest-asyncio