diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index f9c5944..72a4326 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ before_install:
   - conda info -a
   - travis_retry conda create -n test $CONDA IPython pip nose pyzmq jsonschema
   - source activate test
+  - if [[ $CONDA == python=3.3* ]]; then
+      pip install nbformat;
+    else
+      travis_retry conda install nbformat;
+    fi
   - travis_retry pip install coveralls
 
 install:
diff --git a/pymatbridge/publish.py b/pymatbridge/publish.py
index f6d97d7..213d3cb 100644
--- a/pymatbridge/publish.py
+++ b/pymatbridge/publish.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-import IPython.nbformat.v4 as nbformat
-from IPython.nbformat import write as nbwrite
+try:
+    import nbformat.v4 as nbformat
+    from nbformat import write as nbwrite
+except ImportError:
+    import IPython.nbformat.v4 as nbformat
+    from IPython.nbformat import write as nbwrite
+
 import numpy as np