diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/img.py b/src/calibre/utils/img.py
index d45882b399..350ef29549 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/img.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/img.py
@@ -4,12 +4,11 @@
 
 from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
                         print_function)
-from future_builtins import map
 import os, subprocess, errno, shutil, tempfile, sys
 from io import BytesIO
 from threading import Thread
 
-from PyQt5.Qt import QImage, QByteArray, QBuffer, Qt, QImageReader, QColor, QImageWriter, QTransform, QCoreApplication, QProcessEnvironment
+from PyQt5.Qt import QImage, QByteArray, QBuffer, Qt, QImageReader, QColor, QImageWriter, QTransform, QCoreApplication
 
 from calibre import fit_image, force_unicode
 from calibre.constants import iswindows, plugins, get_version
@@ -19,13 +18,8 @@ from calibre.utils.filenames import atomic_rename
 # Ensure that Qt can load the imageformat plugins
 
 if QCoreApplication.instance() is None:
-    # Normally constructing a QCoreApplication takes care of this, but if we
-    # are being used without a QCoreApplication, then we have to do it manually
-    if len(set(b'jpeg gif png'.split(b' ')).intersection(set(map(bytes, QImageReader.supportedImageFormats())))) != 3:
-        qpp = QProcessEnvironment.systemEnvironment().value('QT_PLUGIN_PATH')
-        if qpp:
-            for path in qpp.split(os.pathsep):
-                QCoreApplication.addLibraryPath(path)
+    # We need a QCoreApplication() in order to load imageformat plugins
+    _core_app = QCoreApplication()
 
 # Utilities {{{
 imageops, imageops_err = plugins['imageops']