diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py b/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
index 0265cd2267..f7b694d6e7 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
     args = '[--verbosity] [--noinput]'
 
     def handle_noargs(self, **options):
-        from django.db import backend, connection, transaction, models
+        from django.db import connection, transaction, models
         from django.conf import settings
         from django.core.management.sql import table_list, installed_models, sql_model_create, sql_for_pending_references, many_to_many_sql_for_model, custom_sql_for_model, sql_indexes_for_model, emit_post_sync_signal
 
diff --git a/django/core/management/sql.py b/django/core/management/sql.py
index 0857c4a9e7..4db32fda74 100644
--- a/django/core/management/sql.py
+++ b/django/core/management/sql.py
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ def sql_model_create(model, style, known_models=set()):
     Returns the SQL required to create a single model, as a tuple of:
         (list_of_sql, pending_references_dict)
     """
-    from django.db import backend, connection, models
+    from django.db import connection, models
 
     opts = model._meta
     final_output = []
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def sql_for_pending_references(model, style, pending_references):
     """
     Returns any ALTER TABLE statements to add constraints after the fact.
     """
-    from django.db import backend, connection
+    from django.db import connection
     from django.db.backends.util import truncate_name
 
     qn = connection.ops.quote_name
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ def sql_for_pending_references(model, style, pending_references):
     return final_output
 
 def many_to_many_sql_for_model(model, style):
-    from django.db import backend, connection, models
+    from django.db import connection, models
     from django.contrib.contenttypes import generic
 
     opts = model._meta
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ def custom_sql_for_model(model):
 
 def sql_indexes_for_model(model, style):
     "Returns the CREATE INDEX SQL statements for a single model"
-    from django.db import backend, connection
+    from django.db import connection
     output = []
 
     qn = connection.ops.quote_name
diff --git a/django/db/backends/oracle/base.py b/django/db/backends/oracle/base.py
index f4f602ff0d..acebd75cb3 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/oracle/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/oracle/base.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ def get_trigger_name(table):
 def get_query_set_class(DefaultQuerySet):
     "Create a custom QuerySet class for Oracle."
 
-    from django.db import backend, connection
+    from django.db import connection
     from django.db.models.query import EmptyResultSet, GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE, quote_only_if_word
 
     class OracleQuerySet(DefaultQuerySet):
diff --git a/django/db/models/__init__.py b/django/db/models/__init__.py
index 2203cbb6fd..4c712a0dc2 100644
--- a/django/db/models/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/models/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist, ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.core import validators
-from django.db import backend, connection
+from django.db import connection
 from django.db.models.loading import get_apps, get_app, get_models, get_model, register_models
 from django.db.models.query import Q
 from django.db.models.manager import Manager
diff --git a/django/db/models/base.py b/django/db/models/base.py
index 670eeb4a14..a3478445f7 100644
--- a/django/db/models/base.py
+++ b/django/db/models/base.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from django.db.models.fields import AutoField, ImageField, FieldDoesNotExist
 from django.db.models.fields.related import OneToOneRel, ManyToOneRel
 from django.db.models.query import delete_objects
 from django.db.models.options import Options, AdminOptions
-from django.db import connection, backend, transaction
+from django.db import connection, transaction
 from django.db.models import signals
 from django.db.models.loading import register_models, get_model
 from django.dispatch import dispatcher
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/related.py b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
index 8d541bd078..7d28ba1d73 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/related.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from django.db import backend, connection, transaction
+from django.db import connection, transaction
 from django.db.models import signals, get_model
 from django.db.models.fields import AutoField, Field, IntegerField, PositiveIntegerField, PositiveSmallIntegerField, get_ul_class
 from django.db.models.related import RelatedObject