diff --git a/django/db/backends/__init__.py b/django/db/backends/__init__.py
index 3748fb4b4f..68927de182 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     # Import copy of _thread_local.py from Python 2.4
     from django.utils._threading_local import local
-
+try:
+    set
+except NameError
+    # Python 2.3 compat
+    from sets import Set as set
+    
 from django.db.backends import util
 from django.utils import datetime_safe
 
diff --git a/django/db/backends/creation.py b/django/db/backends/creation.py
index a462be8251..3656866429 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/creation.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/creation.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import sys
 import time
+try:
+    set
+except NameError:
+    # Python 2.3 compat
+    from sets import Set as set
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.management import call_command