diff --git a/pandas/__init__.py b/pandas/__init__.py
index da4c146da3cfd..62de9a10e729b 100644
--- a/pandas/__init__.py
+++ b/pandas/__init__.py
@@ -3,17 +3,10 @@
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext'
 
 try:
-    from . import hashtable, tslib, lib
-except Exception:  # pragma: no cover
-    import sys
-    e = sys.exc_info()[1]  # Py25 and Py3 current exception syntax conflict
-    print e
-    if 'No module named lib' in str(e):
-        raise ImportError('C extensions not built: if you installed already '
-                          'verify that you are not importing from the source '
-                          'directory')
-    else:
-        raise
+    from pandas import hashtable, tslib, lib
+except ImportError as e:  # pragma: no cover
+    module = str(e).lstrip('cannot import name ')  # hack but overkill to use re
+    raise ImportError("C extensions: {0} not built".format(module))
 
 from datetime import datetime
 import numpy as np
diff --git a/pandas/algos.pyx b/pandas/algos.pyx
index cac9c5ccc7a6d..836101ecafa2d 100644
--- a/pandas/algos.pyx
+++ b/pandas/algos.pyx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ cdef extern from "src/headers/math.h":
     double fabs(double)
     int signbit(double)
 
-from . import lib
+from pandas import lib
 
 include "skiplist.pyx"
 
diff --git a/pandas/index.pyx b/pandas/index.pyx
index 7d33d6083d0eb..85a83b745510f 100644
--- a/pandas/index.pyx
+++ b/pandas/index.pyx
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ import numpy as np
 
 cimport tslib
 from hashtable cimport *
-from . import algos, tslib, hashtable as _hash
-from .tslib import Timestamp
+from pandas import algos, tslib, hashtable as _hash
+from pandas.tslib import Timestamp
 
 from datetime cimport (get_datetime64_value, _pydatetime_to_dts,
                        pandas_datetimestruct)
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ try:
     import pytz
     UTC = pytz.utc
     have_pytz = True
-except:
+except ImportError:
     have_pytz = False
 
 PyDateTime_IMPORT
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ PyDateTime_IMPORT
 cdef extern from "Python.h":
     int PySlice_Check(object)
 
-#     int PyList_Check(object)
-#     int PyTuple_Check(object)
 
 cdef inline is_definitely_invalid_key(object val):
     if PyTuple_Check(val):