diff --git a/gwinc/__init__.py b/gwinc/__init__.py
index d528c5a47496c3876ac1d0b9581db16ee2dc9065..eca881ab6d140dcec56244c25a822f4f26084d79 100644
--- a/gwinc/__init__.py
+++ b/gwinc/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import numpy as np
 from .ifo import IFOS
 from .struct import Struct
 from .plot import plot_noise
-from .io import load_hdf5, save_hdf5
 
 
 def _load_module(name_or_path):
diff --git a/gwinc/__main__.py b/gwinc/__main__.py
index 72573767ebe7acbd0b3dd18fca9a90bf428e089c..71fd7b5d333a8d5ed3446a204dd895089de69e6c 100644
--- a/gwinc/__main__.py
+++ b/gwinc/__main__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ logging.basicConfig(format='%(message)s',
                     level=os.getenv('LOG_LEVEL', logging.INFO))
 
 from . import IFOS, load_budget, plot_noise
-from . import io
 
 ##################################################
 
@@ -89,8 +88,9 @@ def main():
     # initial arg processing
 
     if os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(args.IFO))[1] in ['.hdf5', '.h5']:
+        from .io import load_hdf5
         Budget = None
-        freq, traces, attrs = io.load_hdf5(args.IFO)
+        freq, traces, attrs = load_hdf5(args.IFO)
         ifo = getattr(attrs, 'IFO', None)
         plot_style = attrs
 
@@ -201,10 +201,11 @@ def main():
 
     # save noise traces to HDF5 file
     if args.save and os.path.splitext(args.save)[1] in ['.hdf5', '.h5']:
+        from .io import save_hdf5
         logging.info("saving budget traces {}...".format(args.save))
         if ifo:
             plot_style['IFO'] = ifo.to_yaml()
-        io.save_hdf5(
+        save_hdf5(
             path=args.save,
             freq=freq,
             traces=traces,
diff --git a/gwinc/test/__main__.py b/gwinc/test/__main__.py
index 83fc338fd6bb9d33910f5bbdde89bda97a678802..6ccb7af734097d69881e760c837981fb9335bb90 100644
--- a/gwinc/test/__main__.py
+++ b/gwinc/test/__main__.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ logging.basicConfig(format='%(message)s',
                     level=os.getenv('LOG_LEVEL', logging.INFO))
 
 from .. import IFOS, load_budget
-from .. import load_hdf5, save_hdf5
+from ..io import load_hdf5, save_hdf5
 
 try:
     import inspiral_range