diff --git a/spacy/cli/download.py b/spacy/cli/download.py
index c57e2364b..64ab03a75 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/download.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/download.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import requests
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import pkg_resources
 from wasabi import Printer
 
 from .link import link
@@ -86,8 +87,6 @@ def download(model, direct=False, *pip_args):
 
 def require_package(name):
     try:
-        import pkg_resources
-
         pkg_resources.working_set.require(name)
         return True
     except:  # noqa: E722
diff --git a/spacy/cli/validate.py b/spacy/cli/validate.py
index 38f8d2313..f608ccd7f 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/validate.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/validate.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # coding: utf8
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, print_function
 
+import pkg_resources
 from pathlib import Path
 import sys
 import requests
@@ -108,8 +109,6 @@ def get_model_links(compat):
 
 
 def get_model_pkgs(compat, all_models):
-    import pkg_resources
-
     pkgs = {}
     for pkg_name, pkg_data in pkg_resources.working_set.by_key.items():
         package = pkg_name.replace("-", "_")
diff --git a/spacy/util.py b/spacy/util.py
index 103fe35b5..730f29f64 100644
--- a/spacy/util.py
+++ b/spacy/util.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, print_function
 
 import os
+import pkg_resources
 import importlib
 import re
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -252,8 +253,6 @@ def is_package(name):
     name (unicode): Name of package.
     RETURNS (bool): True if installed package, False if not.
     """
-    import pkg_resources
-
     name = name.lower()  # compare package name against lowercase name
     packages = pkg_resources.working_set.by_key.keys()
     for package in packages: