diff --git a/src/tools.py b/src/tools.py
index 96ac118a416b8bc319277130a97c55b225111f48..efb65362d40840cc4866fe90dc257058431a02fd 100644
--- a/src/tools.py
+++ b/src/tools.py
@@ -35,18 +35,18 @@ import sys
 import pyxml
 import webapp
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
+from osgeo import osr, gdal
+import mapscript
 
 __config = None
 
 
 def ms_version():
     """Return the current MapServer version used by MRA"""
-    import mapscript
     return mapscript.MS_VERSION
 
 def gdal_version():
     """Return the current GDAL version used by MRA"""
-    from osgeo import gdal
     return gdal.VersionInfo("RELEASE_NAME")
 
 def assert_is_empty(generator, tname, iname):