diff --git a/blosc/test.py b/blosc/test.py
index c763cc8..9a38a0b 100644
--- a/blosc/test.py
+++ b/blosc/test.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import sys
 import gc
 import os
-from ._version import LooseVersion
+import _version
 import ctypes
 import blosc
 import unittest
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def test_all_filters(self):
         s = b'0123456789'*100
         filters = [blosc.NOSHUFFLE, blosc.SHUFFLE]
         # BITFILTER only works properly from 1.8.0 on
-        if LooseVersion(blosc.blosclib_version) >= LooseVersion("1.8.0"):
+        if _version.LooseVersion(blosc.blosclib_version) >= _version.LooseVersion("1.8.0"):
             filters.append(blosc.BITSHUFFLE)
         for filter_ in filters:
             c = blosc.compress(s, typesize=1, shuffle=filter_)
diff --git a/blosc/toplevel.py b/blosc/toplevel.py
index 69b8f75..392614d 100644
--- a/blosc/toplevel.py
+++ b/blosc/toplevel.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-from ._version import LooseVersion
+import _version
 try:
     import cPickle as pickle
 except ImportError:
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ def _check_shuffle(shuffle):
         raise ValueError("shuffle can only be one of NOSHUFFLE, SHUFFLE"
                          " and BITSHUFFLE.")
     if (shuffle == blosc.BITSHUFFLE and
-        LooseVersion(blosc.blosclib_version) < LooseVersion("1.8.0")):
+        _version.LooseVersion(blosc.blosclib_version) < _version.LooseVersion("1.8.0")):
         raise ValueError("You need C-Blosc 1.8.0 or higher for using"
                          " BITSHUFFLE.")