diff --git a/py/__init__.py b/py/__init__.py
index c93c3a0d..66972c08 100644
--- a/py/__init__.py
+++ b/py/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 """
 __version__ = '1.4.9'
 
-from py import _apipkg
+import apipkg as _apipkg
 
 # so that py.error.* instances are picklable
 import sys
diff --git a/py/_apipkg.py b/py/_apipkg.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a4576c0b..00000000
--- a/py/_apipkg.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,167 +0,0 @@
-"""
-apipkg: control the exported namespace of a python package.
-
-see http://pypi.python.org/pypi/apipkg
-
-(c) holger krekel, 2009 - MIT license
-"""
-import os
-import sys
-from types import ModuleType
-
-__version__ = '1.2'
-
-def initpkg(pkgname, exportdefs, attr=dict()):
-    """ initialize given package from the export definitions. """
-    oldmod = sys.modules.get(pkgname)
-    d = {}
-    f = getattr(oldmod, '__file__', None)
-    if f:
-        f = os.path.abspath(f)
-    d['__file__'] = f
-    if hasattr(oldmod, '__version__'):
-        d['__version__'] = oldmod.__version__
-    if hasattr(oldmod, '__loader__'):
-        d['__loader__'] = oldmod.__loader__
-    if hasattr(oldmod, '__path__'):
-        d['__path__'] = [os.path.abspath(p) for p in oldmod.__path__]
-    if '__doc__' not in exportdefs and getattr(oldmod, '__doc__', None):
-        d['__doc__'] = oldmod.__doc__
-    d.update(attr)
-    if hasattr(oldmod, "__dict__"):
-        oldmod.__dict__.update(d)
-    mod = ApiModule(pkgname, exportdefs, implprefix=pkgname, attr=d)
-    sys.modules[pkgname]  = mod
-
-def importobj(modpath, attrname):
-    module = __import__(modpath, None, None, ['__doc__'])
-    if not attrname:
-        return module
-
-    retval = module
-    names = attrname.split(".")
-    for x in names:
-        retval = getattr(retval, x)
-    return retval
-
-class ApiModule(ModuleType):
-    def __docget(self):
-        try:
-            return self.__doc
-        except AttributeError:
-            if '__doc__' in self.__map__:
-                return self.__makeattr('__doc__')
-    def __docset(self, value):
-        self.__doc = value
-    __doc__ = property(__docget, __docset)
-
-    def __init__(self, name, importspec, implprefix=None, attr=None):
-        self.__name__ = name
-        self.__all__ = [x for x in importspec if x != '__onfirstaccess__']
-        self.__map__ = {}
-        self.__implprefix__ = implprefix or name
-        if attr:
-            for name, val in attr.items():
-                #print "setting", self.__name__, name, val
-                setattr(self, name, val)
-        for name, importspec in importspec.items():
-            if isinstance(importspec, dict):
-                subname = '%s.%s'%(self.__name__, name)
-                apimod = ApiModule(subname, importspec, implprefix)
-                sys.modules[subname] = apimod
-                setattr(self, name, apimod)
-            else:
-                parts = importspec.split(':')
-                modpath = parts.pop(0)
-                attrname = parts and parts[0] or ""
-                if modpath[0] == '.':
-                    modpath = implprefix + modpath
-
-                if not attrname:
-                    subname = '%s.%s'%(self.__name__, name)
-                    apimod = AliasModule(subname, modpath)
-                    sys.modules[subname] = apimod
-                    if '.' not in name:
-                        setattr(self, name, apimod)
-                else:
-                    self.__map__[name] = (modpath, attrname)
-
-    def __repr__(self):
-        l = []
-        if hasattr(self, '__version__'):
-            l.append("version=" + repr(self.__version__))
-        if hasattr(self, '__file__'):
-            l.append('from ' + repr(self.__file__))
-        if l:
-            return '<ApiModule %r %s>' % (self.__name__, " ".join(l))
-        return '<ApiModule %r>' % (self.__name__,)
-
-    def __makeattr(self, name):
-        """lazily compute value for name or raise AttributeError if unknown."""
-        #print "makeattr", self.__name__, name
-        target = None
-        if '__onfirstaccess__' in self.__map__:
-            target = self.__map__.pop('__onfirstaccess__')
-            importobj(*target)()
-        try:
-            modpath, attrname = self.__map__[name]
-        except KeyError:
-            if target is not None and name != '__onfirstaccess__':
-                # retry, onfirstaccess might have set attrs
-                return getattr(self, name)
-            raise AttributeError(name)
-        else:
-            result = importobj(modpath, attrname)
-            setattr(self, name, result)
-            try:
-                del self.__map__[name]
-            except KeyError:
-                pass # in a recursive-import situation a double-del can happen
-            return result
-
-    __getattr__ = __makeattr
-
-    def __dict__(self):
-        # force all the content of the module to be loaded when __dict__ is read
-        dictdescr = ModuleType.__dict__['__dict__']
-        dict = dictdescr.__get__(self)
-        if dict is not None:
-            hasattr(self, 'some')
-            for name in self.__all__:
-                try:
-                    self.__makeattr(name)
-                except AttributeError:
-                    pass
-        return dict
-    __dict__ = property(__dict__)
-
-
-def AliasModule(modname, modpath, attrname=None):
-    mod = []
-
-    def getmod():
-        if not mod:
-            x = importobj(modpath, None)
-            if attrname is not None:
-                x = getattr(x, attrname)
-            mod.append(x)
-        return mod[0]
-
-    class AliasModule(ModuleType):
-
-        def __repr__(self):
-            x = modpath
-            if attrname:
-                x += "." + attrname
-            return '<AliasModule %r for %r>' % (modname, x)
-
-        def __getattribute__(self, name):
-            return getattr(getmod(), name)
-
-        def __setattr__(self, name, value):
-            setattr(getmod(), name, value)
-
-        def __delattr__(self, name):
-            delattr(getmod(), name)
-
-    return AliasModule(modname)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7d08f08b..8dfbd403 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ def main():
         platforms=['unix', 'linux', 'osx', 'cygwin', 'win32'],
         author='holger krekel, Guido Wesdorp, Carl Friedrich Bolz, Armin Rigo, Maciej Fijalkowski & others',
         author_email='holger at merlinux.eu',
+        install_requires=['apipkg'],
         classifiers=['Development Status :: 6 - Mature',
                      'Intended Audience :: Developers',
                      'License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License',
@@ -40,4 +41,4 @@ def main():
     )
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    main()
\ No newline at end of file
+    main()