diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/android/driver.py b/src/calibre/devices/android/driver.py
index 2b6d4e9560..f615afd704 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/android/driver.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/android/driver.py
@@ -383,11 +383,7 @@ class WEBOS(USBMS):
 
     def upload_cover(self, path, filename, metadata, filepath):
 
-        try:
-            from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
-            Image, ImageDraw
-        except ImportError:
-            import Image, ImageDraw
+        from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
 
         coverdata = getattr(metadata, 'thumbnail', None)
         if coverdata and coverdata[2]:
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/nook/driver.py b/src/calibre/devices/nook/driver.py
index 21490bb826..1bf1101467 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/nook/driver.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/nook/driver.py
@@ -48,11 +48,7 @@ class NOOK(USBMS):
     SUPPORTS_SUB_DIRS = True
 
     def upload_cover(self, path, filename, metadata, filepath):
-        try:
-            from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
-            Image, ImageDraw
-        except ImportError:
-            import Image, ImageDraw
+        from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
 
         coverdata = getattr(metadata, 'thumbnail', None)
         if coverdata and coverdata[2]:
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pml_output.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pml_output.py
index 4d560e4e65..2876c07555 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pml_output.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/pml_output.py
@@ -56,11 +56,7 @@ class PMLOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
             pmlz.add_dir(tdir)
 
     def write_images(self, manifest, image_hrefs, out_dir, opts):
-        try:
-            from PIL import Image
-            Image
-        except ImportError:
-            import Image
+        from PIL import Image
 
         from calibre.ebooks.oeb.base import OEB_RASTER_IMAGES
         for item in manifest:
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/fonts.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/fonts.py
index c4300bec42..0cbff70503 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/fonts.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/fonts.py
@@ -3,11 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_litera
 __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2008, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
-try:
-    from PIL import ImageFont
-    ImageFont
-except ImportError:
-    import ImageFont
+from PIL import ImageFont
 
 '''
 Default fonts used in the PRS500
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/html/convert_from.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/html/convert_from.py
index d21f920d78..285acc3bde 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/html/convert_from.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/lrf/html/convert_from.py
@@ -42,11 +42,7 @@ I am indebted to esperanc for the initial CSS->Xylog Style conversion code
 and to Falstaff for pylrs.
 """
 
-try:
-    from PIL import Image as PILImage
-    PILImage
-except ImportError:
-    import Image as PILImage
+from PIL import Image as PILImage
 
 
 def update_css(ncss, ocss):
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/ereader/writer.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/ereader/writer.py
index d197ddf858..e31af7af6b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/ereader/writer.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/ereader/writer.py
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@ import re
 import struct
 import zlib
 
-try:
-    from PIL import Image
-    Image
-except ImportError:
-    import Image
+from PIL import Image
 
 from calibre.ebooks.pdb.formatwriter import FormatWriter
 from calibre.ebooks.pdb.header import PdbHeaderBuilder
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rb/writer.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rb/writer.py
index c6353d146e..294bd19b6e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rb/writer.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rb/writer.py
@@ -9,11 +9,7 @@ import io
 import struct
 import zlib
 
-try:
-    from PIL import Image
-    Image
-except ImportError:
-    import Image
+from PIL import Image
 
 from calibre.ebooks.rb.rbml import RBMLizer
 from calibre.ebooks.rb import HEADER
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/textile/functions.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/textile/functions.py
index 49025a3ecc..5029a2a689 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/textile/functions.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/textile/functions.py
@@ -89,13 +89,7 @@ def getimagesize(url):
 
     """
 
-    try:
-        from PIL import ImageFile
-    except ImportError:
-        try:
-            import ImageFile
-        except ImportError:
-            return None
+    from PIL import ImageFile
 
     try:
         p = ImageFile.Parser()
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py b/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
index d6daa1b319..eb12fe9b2d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
@@ -2953,11 +2953,7 @@ class CatalogBuilder(object):
         if not font_path or not os.access(font_path, os.R_OK):
             font_path = default_font
 
-        try:
-            from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-            Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-        except ImportError:
-            import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
+        from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
 
         img = Image.new('RGB', (MI_WIDTH, MI_HEIGHT), 'white')
         draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)