diff --git a/pandas_datareader/base.py b/pandas_datareader/base.py
index c855c8ad..da2976c3 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/base.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/base.py
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 import requests
-from io import StringIO
 
 from pandas import DataFrame
 from pandas import read_csv, concat
 from pandas.io.common import urlencode
-from pandas_datareader.compat import bytes_to_str, string_types, binary_type
+from pandas_datareader.compat import bytes_to_str, string_types, binary_type, \
+    StringIO
 
 from pandas_datareader._utils import (RemoteDataError, SymbolWarning,
                                       _sanitize_dates, _init_session)
diff --git a/pandas_datareader/compat/__init__.py b/pandas_datareader/compat/__init__.py
index e7b88f2b..1319e9f4 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/compat/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import pandas.io.common as com
 import sys
 from distutils.version import LooseVersion
-from io import BytesIO
 
 PY3 = sys.version_info >= (3, 0)
 
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ def get_filepath_or_buffer(filepath_or_buffer, encoding=None,
 
     string_types = str,
     binary_type = bytes
-
+    from io import StringIO
 
     def str_to_bytes(s, encoding=None):
         return s.encode(encoding or 'ascii')
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ def bytes_to_str(b, encoding=None):
         return b.decode(encoding or 'utf-8')
 else:
     from urllib2 import HTTPError
-
+    from cStringIO import StringIO
     reduce = reduce
     binary_type = str
     string_types = basestring,
diff --git a/pandas_datareader/enigma.py b/pandas_datareader/enigma.py
index 0904a569..6513b223 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/enigma.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/enigma.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import os
 import time
 
-from io import StringIO
 import pandas as pd
 
 from pandas_datareader.base import _BaseReader, string_types
+from pandas_datareader.compat import StringIO
 
 
 class EnigmaReader(_BaseReader):
diff --git a/pandas_datareader/famafrench.py b/pandas_datareader/famafrench.py
index 1da9ae80..6aa6230a 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/famafrench.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/famafrench.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import datetime as dt
 import re
 import tempfile
-from io import StringIO
+
 from zipfile import ZipFile
 
 from pandas import read_csv, to_datetime
-from pandas_datareader.compat import lmap
+from pandas_datareader.compat import lmap, StringIO
 
 from pandas_datareader.base import _BaseReader
 
diff --git a/pandas_datareader/moex.py b/pandas_datareader/moex.py
index 53adf802..47459103 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/moex.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/moex.py
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 
 import pandas as pd
 
-from io import StringIO
 from pandas_datareader.base import _DailyBaseReader
-from pandas_datareader.compat import is_list_like
+from pandas_datareader.compat import is_list_like, StringIO
 
 
 class MoexReader(_DailyBaseReader):
diff --git a/pandas_datareader/nasdaq_trader.py b/pandas_datareader/nasdaq_trader.py
index 4c93044f..51cc26b2 100644
--- a/pandas_datareader/nasdaq_trader.py
+++ b/pandas_datareader/nasdaq_trader.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 from ftplib import FTP, all_errors
-from io import StringIO
+
 from pandas import read_csv
 from pandas_datareader._utils import RemoteDataError
+from pandas_datareader.compat import StringIO
 
 import time
 import warnings