diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/widgets.py b/django/contrib/admin/widgets.py
index fb5acb52956..f0ecb384d4a 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/widgets.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/widgets.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Form Widget classes specific to the Django admin site.
 """
 
-import copy
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 
 from django import forms
 from django.forms.widgets import RadioFieldRenderer
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos.py b/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos.py
index 440075dd494..4f2e33f9a03 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos.py
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ class GEOSTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test22_copy(self):
         "Testing use with the Python `copy` module."
-        import copy
+        import django.utils.copycompat as copy
         poly = GEOSGeometry('POLYGON((0 0, 0 23, 23 23, 23 0, 0 0), (5 5, 5 10, 10 10, 10 5, 5 5))')
         cpy1 = copy.copy(poly)
         cpy2 = copy.deepcopy(poly)
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos_mutation.py b/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos_mutation.py
index 260a4689a63..28f484dca7d 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos_mutation.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/geos/tests/test_geos_mutation.py
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 # Modified from original contribution by Aryeh Leib Taurog, which was
 # released under the New BSD license.
 import unittest
+
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
+
 from django.contrib.gis.geos import *
 from django.contrib.gis.geos.error import GEOSIndexError
-import copy
 
 def getItem(o,i): return o[i]
 def delItem(o,i): del o[i]
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
index b17e7b92fce..ed5e011f9f4 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import os, unittest
-from copy import copy
 from decimal import Decimal
 from models import City, County, CountyFeat, Interstate, ICity1, ICity2, State, city_mapping, co_mapping, cofeat_mapping, inter_mapping
 from django.contrib.gis.db.backend import SpatialBackend
 from django.contrib.gis.utils.layermapping import LayerMapping, LayerMapError, InvalidDecimal, MissingForeignKey
 from django.contrib.gis.gdal import DataSource
+from django.utils.copycompat import copy
 
 shp_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
 city_shp = os.path.join(shp_path, '../data/cities/cities.shp')
diff --git a/django/db/models/base.py b/django/db/models/base.py
index 47c177295d9..5b727a059f5 100644
--- a/django/db/models/base.py
+++ b/django/db/models/base.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import copy
 import types
 import sys
 import os
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ from django.db.models.options import Options
 from django.db import connection, transaction, DatabaseError
 from django.db.models import signals
 from django.db.models.loading import register_models, get_model
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 from django.utils.functional import curry
 from django.utils.encoding import smart_str, force_unicode, smart_unicode
 from django.conf import settings
diff --git a/django/db/models/expressions.py b/django/db/models/expressions.py
index e54aabacb55..68abf9d22b3 100644
--- a/django/db/models/expressions.py
+++ b/django/db/models/expressions.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-from copy import deepcopy
 from datetime import datetime
 
 from django.utils import tree
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 
 class ExpressionNode(tree.Node):
     """
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
index ea10b801f69..1be0bc353c6 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-import copy
 import datetime
+import decimal
 import os
 import re
 import time
-try:
-    import decimal
-except ImportError:
-    from django.utils import _decimal as decimal    # for Python 2.3
+
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 
 from django.db import connection
 from django.db.models import signals
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/files.py b/django/db/models/fields/files.py
index e6497f0441d..97cb4dc082e 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/files.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/files.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-import copy
 import datetime
 import os
 
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
+
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db.models.fields import Field
 from django.core.files.base import File, ContentFile
diff --git a/django/db/models/manager.py b/django/db/models/manager.py
index 7487fa0d468..2eeb98bfbc4 100644
--- a/django/db/models/manager.py
+++ b/django/db/models/manager.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import copy
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 from django.db.models.query import QuerySet, EmptyQuerySet, insert_query
 from django.db.models import signals
 from django.db.models.fields import FieldDoesNotExist
diff --git a/django/db/models/query.py b/django/db/models/query.py
index 6a16ce1b337..9cc7659c691 100644
--- a/django/db/models/query.py
+++ b/django/db/models/query.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 The main QuerySet implementation. This provides the public API for the ORM.
 """
 
-from copy import deepcopy
 from django.db import connection, transaction, IntegrityError
 from django.db.models.aggregates import Aggregate
 from django.db.models.fields import DateField
 from django.db.models.query_utils import Q, select_related_descend, CollectedObjects, CyclicDependency, deferred_class_factory
 from django.db.models import signals, sql
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 
 # Used to control how many objects are worked with at once in some cases (e.g.
 # when deleting objects).
diff --git a/django/db/models/query_utils.py b/django/db/models/query_utils.py
index 6a6b69013f4..c5cb336f4ec 100644
--- a/django/db/models/query_utils.py
+++ b/django/db/models/query_utils.py
@@ -7,16 +7,11 @@ circular import difficulties.
 """
 
 import weakref
-from copy import deepcopy
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 
 from django.utils import tree
 from django.utils.datastructures import SortedDict
 
-try:
-    sorted
-except NameError:
-    from django.utils.itercompat import sorted  # For Python 2.3.
-
 
 class CyclicDependency(Exception):
     """
diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/query.py b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
index 7bc45cbce27..f3e24ed8ee4 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/query.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ databases). The abstraction barrier only works one way: this module has to know
 all about the internals of models in order to get the information it needs.
 """
 
-from copy import deepcopy
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 from django.utils.tree import Node
 from django.utils.datastructures import SortedDict
 from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode
diff --git a/django/forms/fields.py b/django/forms/fields.py
index 0aef355d0f1..c0ee2f09559 100644
--- a/django/forms/fields.py
+++ b/django/forms/fields.py
@@ -2,28 +2,19 @@
 Field classes.
 """
 
-import copy
 import datetime
 import os
 import re
 import time
 import urlparse
+from decimal import Decimal, DecimalException
 try:
     from cStringIO import StringIO
 except ImportError:
     from StringIO import StringIO
 
-# Python 2.3 fallbacks
-try:
-    from decimal import Decimal, DecimalException
-except ImportError:
-    from django.utils._decimal import Decimal, DecimalException
-try:
-    set
-except NameError:
-    from sets import Set as set
-
 import django.core.exceptions
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.utils.encoding import smart_unicode, smart_str
 
diff --git a/django/forms/forms.py b/django/forms/forms.py
index e854de8a7a0..7f6fa512870 100644
--- a/django/forms/forms.py
+++ b/django/forms/forms.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 Form classes
 """
 
-from copy import deepcopy
-
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 from django.utils.datastructures import SortedDict
 from django.utils.html import conditional_escape
 from django.utils.encoding import StrAndUnicode, smart_unicode, force_unicode
diff --git a/django/forms/widgets.py b/django/forms/widgets.py
index b1d2cb7cdaa..d59e6343e55 100644
--- a/django/forms/widgets.py
+++ b/django/forms/widgets.py
@@ -2,12 +2,7 @@
 HTML Widget classes
 """
 
-try:
-    set
-except NameError:
-    from sets import Set as set   # Python 2.3 fallback
-
-import copy
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 from itertools import chain
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.datastructures import MultiValueDict, MergeDict
diff --git a/django/http/__init__.py b/django/http/__init__.py
index 446659b5601..7b0c469c517 100644
--- a/django/http/__init__.py
+++ b/django/http/__init__.py
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class QueryDict(MultiValueDict):
         return result
 
     def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
-        import copy
+        import django.utils.copycompat as copy
         result = self.__class__('', mutable=True)
         memo[id(self)] = result
         for key, value in dict.items(self):
diff --git a/django/utils/_decimal.py b/django/utils/_decimal.py
index 677d26bb323..2801046cf17 100644
--- a/django/utils/_decimal.py
+++ b/django/utils/_decimal.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ __all__ = [
     'setcontext', 'getcontext'
 ]
 
-import copy as _copy
+import django.utils.copycompat as _copy
 
 #Rounding
 ROUND_DOWN = 'ROUND_DOWN'
diff --git a/django/utils/copycompat.py b/django/utils/copycompat.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22b3cfbef7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/utils/copycompat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""
+Fixes Python 2.4's failure to deepcopy unbound functions.
+"""
+
+import copy
+import types
+
+# Monkeypatch copy's deepcopy registry to handle functions correctly.
+if (hasattr(copy, '_deepcopy_dispatch') and types.FunctionType not in copy._deepcopy_dispatch):
+    copy._deepcopy_dispatch[types.FunctionType] = copy._deepcopy_atomic
+
+# Pose as the copy module now.
+del copy, types
+from copy import *
diff --git a/django/utils/datastructures.py b/django/utils/datastructures.py
index 2b586d7efe0..06cf6c6b75b 100644
--- a/django/utils/datastructures.py
+++ b/django/utils/datastructures.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from copy import deepcopy
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 
 
 class MergeDict(object):
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class MultiValueDict(dict):
         return self.__class__(super(MultiValueDict, self).items())
 
     def __deepcopy__(self, memo=None):
-        import copy
+        import django.utils.copycompat as copy
         if memo is None:
             memo = {}
         result = self.__class__()
diff --git a/django/utils/functional.py b/django/utils/functional.py
index 823cda45873..43b7ab1437b 100644
--- a/django/utils/functional.py
+++ b/django/utils/functional.py
@@ -335,8 +335,10 @@ class SimpleLazyObject(LazyObject):
             memo[id(self)] = result
             return result
         else:
-            import copy
-            return copy.deepcopy(self._wrapped, memo)
+            # Changed to use deepcopy from copycompat, instead of copy
+            # For Python 2.4.
+            from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
+            return deepcopy(self._wrapped, memo)
 
     # Need to pretend to be the wrapped class, for the sake of objects that care
     # about this (especially in equality tests)
diff --git a/django/utils/tree.py b/django/utils/tree.py
index a9028b834b7..a6cfec27ad4 100644
--- a/django/utils/tree.py
+++ b/django/utils/tree.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ A class for storing a tree graph. Primarily used for filter constructs in the
 ORM.
 """
 
-from copy import deepcopy
+from django.utils.copycompat import deepcopy
 
 class Node(object):
     """
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/dispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py b/tests/regressiontests/dispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
index adf760386c2..ad3a05f2cd7 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/dispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/dispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 from django.dispatch import Signal
 import unittest
-import copy
 import sys
 import gc
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
 
 if sys.platform.startswith('java'):
     def garbage_collect():
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/extra_regress/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/extra_regress/models.py
index 5d22d6cc07d..76eb549f81b 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/extra_regress/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/extra_regress/models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import copy
 import datetime
 
+import django.utils.copycompat as copy
+
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models.query import Q
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/utils/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/utils/tests.py
index a7a6e4c3a11..6258b812003 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/utils/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/utils/tests.py
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class TestUtilsSimpleLazyObject(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(_ComplexObject, SimpleLazyObject(complex_object).__class__)
 
     def test_deepcopy(self):
-        import copy
+        import django.utils.copycompat as copy
         # Check that we *can* do deep copy, and that it returns the right
         # objects.