diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/remote.py b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/remote.py
index 88c2b566f9..95a1aae15d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/remote.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/remote.py
@@ -58,14 +58,14 @@ def main():
     # run()
     # return
 
-    from calibre.devices.scanner import win_scanner
+    from calibre.devices.winusb import get_usb_devices
     from calibre.devices.mtp.driver import MTP_DEVICE
     dev = MTP_DEVICE(None)
     dev.startup()
     print (dev.wpd, dev.wpd_error)
 
     try:
-        devices = win_scanner()
+        devices = get_usb_devices()
         pnp_id = dev.detect_managed_devices(devices)
         if not pnp_id:
             raise ValueError('Failed to detect device')
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/scanner.py b/src/calibre/devices/scanner.py
index becb2b6aa7..76b3934681 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/scanner.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/scanner.py
@@ -6,20 +6,14 @@ manner.
 '''
 
 import sys, os, re
-from threading import RLock
+from threading import Lock
 from collections import namedtuple
 
 from calibre import prints, as_unicode
 from calibre.constants import (iswindows, isosx, plugins, islinux, isfreebsd,
         isnetbsd)
 
-osx_scanner = win_scanner = linux_scanner = freebsd_scanner = netbsd_scanner = None
-
-if iswindows:
-    try:
-        win_scanner = plugins['winutil'][0].get_usb_devices
-    except:
-        raise RuntimeError('Failed to load the winutil plugin: %s'%plugins['winutil'][1])
+osx_scanner = linux_scanner = freebsd_scanner = netbsd_scanner = None
 
 class Drive(str):
 
@@ -38,10 +32,15 @@ def drivecmp(a, b):
 class WinPNPScanner(object):
 
     def __init__(self):
-        self.scanner = None
         if iswindows:
-            self.scanner = plugins['winutil'][0].get_removable_drives
-            self.lock = RLock()
+            self.lock = Lock()
+
+    @property
+    def scanner(self):
+        if iswindows:
+            from calibre.devices.winusb import get_removable_drives
+            return get_removable_drives
+        return None
 
     def drive_is_ok(self, letter, debug=False):
         import win32api, win32file
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ class WinPNPScanner(object):
             if debug:
                 import traceback
                 traceback.print_exc()
-        remove = set([])
+        remove = set()
         for letter in drives:
             if not self.drive_is_ok(letter, debug=debug):
                 remove.add(letter)
@@ -313,6 +312,8 @@ if isnetbsd:
 class DeviceScanner(object):
 
     def __init__(self, *args):
+        if iswindows:
+            from calibre.devices.winusb import get_usb_devices as win_scanner
         self.scanner = (win_scanner if iswindows else osx_scanner if isosx else
                 freebsd_scanner if isfreebsd else netbsd_scanner if isnetbsd
                 else linux_scanner if islinux else libusb_scanner)
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
index 52e0709cc3..a2f770b929 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
@@ -901,9 +901,8 @@ class Device(DeviceConfig, DevicePlugin):
         pass
 
     def eject_windows(self):
-        from calibre.constants import plugins
+        from calibre.devices.winusb import eject_drive
         from threading import Thread
-        winutil, winutil_err = plugins['winutil']
         drives = []
         for x in ('_main_prefix', '_card_a_prefix', '_card_b_prefix'):
             x = getattr(self, x, None)
@@ -913,7 +912,7 @@ class Device(DeviceConfig, DevicePlugin):
         def do_it(drives):
             for d in drives:
                 try:
-                    winutil.eject_drive(bytes(d)[0])
+                    eject_drive(d)
                 except Exception as e:
                     try:
                         prints("Eject failed:", as_unicode(e))