diff --git a/.isort.cfg b/.isort.cfg
index 27c67f127..d8c44da35 100644
--- a/.isort.cfg
+++ b/.isort.cfg
@@ -1,2 +1,8 @@
 [settings]
 skip=aqt/forms
+multi_line_output=3
+include_trailing_comma=True
+force_grid_wrap=0
+use_parentheses=True
+line_length=88
+ensure_newline_before_comments=true
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 826ad18e2..8a838a4d6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --warn-undefined-variables
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-builtin-rules
 RUNARGS :=
 .SUFFIXES:
+BLACKARGS := -t py36 anki aqt
 
 $(shell mkdir -p .build)
 
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ run: build
 ######################
 
 .PHONY: check
-check: mypy pyimports pytest pylint checkpretty
+check: mypy pyimports pyfmt pytest pylint checkpretty
 
 # Checking python
 ######################
@@ -132,24 +133,32 @@ PYCHECKDEPS := $(BUILDDEPS) .build/pycheckreqs $(shell find anki aqt -name '*.py
 	touch $@
 
 .build/pyimports: $(PYCHECKDEPS)
-	isort -rc anki aqt --check # if this fails, run 'make fixpyimports'
+	isort anki aqt --check # if this fails, run 'make fixpyimports'
+	touch $@
+
+.build/pyfmt: $(PYCHECKDEPS)
+	black --check $(BLACKARGS) # if this fails, run 'make fixpyfmt'
 	touch $@
 
 .build/pytype: $(PYCHECKDEPS) .build/pytypereqs
 	pytype --config pytype.conf
 	touch $@
 
-.PHONY: mypy pytest pylint pytype pyimports fixpyimports
+.PHONY: mypy pytest pylint pytype pyimports pyfmt
 mypy: .build/mypy
 pytest: .build/pytest
 pylint: .build/pylint
 pytype: .build/pytype
 pyimports: .build/pyimports
+pyfmt: .build/pyfmt
 
-.PHONY: fixpyimports
+.PHONY: fixpyimports fixpyfmt
 
 fixpyimports:
-	isort -rc anki aqt
+	isort anki aqt
+
+fixpyfmt:
+	black $(BLACKARGS) anki aqt
 
 # Checking typescript
 ######################
diff --git a/anki/__init__.py b/anki/__init__.py
index 9d705bf52..baea42e12 100644
--- a/anki/__init__.py
+++ b/anki/__init__.py
@@ -12,5 +12,8 @@ if sys.version_info[0] < 3 or sys.version_info[1] < 5:
 if sys.getfilesystemencoding().lower() in ("ascii", "ansi_x3.4-1968"):
     raise Exception("Anki requires a UTF-8 locale.")
 
+# fmt: off
 version="2.1.17" # build scripts grep this line, so preserve formatting
+# fmt: on
+
 __all__ = ["Collection"]
diff --git a/aqt/pinnedmodules.py b/aqt/pinnedmodules.py
index 40c1ba4e8..6fd734184 100644
--- a/aqt/pinnedmodules.py
+++ b/aqt/pinnedmodules.py
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 # included implicitly in the past, and relied upon by some add-ons
 import cgi
 import decimal
+
 # useful for add-ons
 import logging
 import logging.config
 import logging.handlers
+
 # required by requests library
 import queue
 import typing
diff --git a/requirements.check b/requirements.check
index 5faae131e..6131fa459 100644
--- a/requirements.check
+++ b/requirements.check
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@ nose
 mock
 mypy==0.750
 pylint
-isort
+# fixme: when isort 5.0 is released, switch to pypy
+git+https://github.com/dae/isort
+black