diff --git a/anki/utils.py b/anki/utils.py
index 0eeb3dfdd..06be1de67 100644
--- a/anki/utils.py
+++ b/anki/utils.py
@@ -3,12 +3,24 @@
 # License: GNU AGPL, version 3 or later; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
 
 from __future__ import division
-import re, os, random, time, math, htmlentitydefs, subprocess, \
-    tempfile, shutil, string, httplib2, sys, locale
+import re
+import os
+import random
+import time
+import math
+import htmlentitydefs
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import shutil
+import string
+import sys
+import locale
 from hashlib import sha1
-from anki.lang import _, ngettext
 import platform
 
+from anki.lang import _, ngettext
+
+
 if sys.version_info[1] < 5:
     def format_string(a, b):
         return a % b
@@ -16,6 +28,14 @@ if sys.version_info[1] < 5:
 
 try:
     import simplejson as json
+    # make sure simplejson's loads() always returns unicode
+    # we don't try to support .load()
+    origLoads = json.loads
+    def loads(s, *args, **kwargs):
+        if not isinstance(s, unicode):
+            s = unicode(s, "utf8")
+        return origLoads(s, *args, **kwargs)
+    json.loads = loads
 except ImportError:
     import json