diff --git a/py/__init__.py b/py/__init__.py
index 05d33f0b0..afd45843f 100644
--- a/py/__init__.py
+++ b/py/__init__.py
@@ -152,12 +152,10 @@ initpkg(__name__,
     'builtin._isbytes'       : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', '_isbytes'),
     'builtin._istext'        : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', '_istext'),
     'builtin._getimself'     : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', '_getimself'),
-    'builtin._getcode'       : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', '_getcode'),
     'builtin._getfuncdict'   : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', '_getfuncdict'),
     'builtin.builtins'       : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', 'builtins'),
     'builtin.execfile'       : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', 'execfile'),
     'builtin.callable'       : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', 'callable'),
-    'builtin.pickle'         : ('./builtin/builtin31.py', 'pickle'),
 
     # gateways into remote contexts
     'execnet.__doc__'        : ('./execnet/__init__.py', '__doc__'),
diff --git a/py/builtin/builtin31.py b/py/builtin/builtin31.py
index 68af8323a..66ce47d4b 100644
--- a/py/builtin/builtin31.py
+++ b/py/builtin/builtin31.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
+
 import sys
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
     exec ("print_ = print ; exec_=exec")
     import builtins
-    import pickle
 
     # some backward compatibility helpers 
     _basestring = str 
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@ if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
     def _getimself(function):
         return getattr(function, '__self__', None)
 
-    def _getcode(function):
-        return function.__code__
-
     def _getfuncdict(function):
         return getattr(function, "__dict__", None)
 
@@ -48,10 +45,7 @@ if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
         return hasattr(obj, "__call__")
 
 else:
-    try:
-        import cPickle as pickle
-    except ImportError:
-        import pickle 
+    import __builtin__ as builtins
     _totext = unicode 
     _basestring = basestring
     execfile = execfile
@@ -64,13 +58,9 @@ else:
     def _getimself(function):
         return getattr(function, 'im_self', None)
 
-    def _getcode(function):
-        return function.func_code
-
     def _getfuncdict(function):
         return getattr(function, "__dict__", None)
 
-    import __builtin__ as builtins
     def print_(*args, **kwargs):
         """ minimal backport of py3k print statement. """ 
         sep = ' '
diff --git a/py/builtin/testing/test_builtin.py b/py/builtin/testing/test_builtin.py
index 41152a1b0..ec5cc84cd 100644
--- a/py/builtin/testing/test_builtin.py
+++ b/py/builtin/testing/test_builtin.py
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ def test_frozenset():
     assert len(s) == 1
 
 def test_sorted():
-    if sys.version_info >= (2,5):
-        py.test.skip("python 2.5 needs no sorted tests")
+    if sorted == py.builtin.sorted:
+        return # don't test a real builtin
     for s in [py.builtin.sorted]:
         def test():
             assert s([3, 2, 1]) == [1, 2, 3]
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def test_execfile(tmpdir):
     ns = {"y" : 42}
     py.builtin.execfile(str(test_file), ns)
     assert ns["x"] == 42
-    assert py.builtin._getcode(ns["f"]).co_filename == str(test_file)
+    assert py.code.getrawcode(ns["f"]).co_filename == str(test_file)
     class A:
         y = 3
         x = 4
diff --git a/py/path/common.py b/py/path/common.py
index 32602e390..d8963f963 100644
--- a/py/path/common.py
+++ b/py/path/common.py
@@ -136,14 +136,15 @@ newline will be removed from the end of each line. """
         """ (deprecated) return object unpickled from self.read() """
         f = self.open('rb')
         try:
-            return py.error.checked_call(py.builtin.pickle.load, f)
+            return py.error.checked_call(py.std.pickle.load, f)
         finally:
             f.close()
 
     def move(self, target):
         """ move this path to target. """
         if target.relto(self):
-            raise py.error.EINVAL(target, "cannot move path into a subdirectory of itself")
+            raise py.error.EINVAL(target, 
+                "cannot move path into a subdirectory of itself")
         try:
             self.rename(target)
         except py.error.EXDEV:  # invalid cross-device link
diff --git a/py/path/local.py b/py/path/local.py
index 10def4b9f..5726a66ac 100644
--- a/py/path/local.py
+++ b/py/path/local.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class LocalPath(FSBase):
         """ pickle object into path location"""
         f = self.open('wb')
         try:
-            py.error.checked_call(py.builtin.pickle.dump, obj, f, bin)
+            py.error.checked_call(py.std.pickle.dump, obj, f, bin)
         finally:
             f.close()
 
diff --git a/py/path/testing/test_local.py b/py/path/testing/test_local.py
index a36c8de56..a338a48d3 100644
--- a/py/path/testing/test_local.py
+++ b/py/path/testing/test_local.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class TestLocalPath(common.CommonFSTests):
             d = {'answer' : 42}
             path.dump(d, bin=bin)
             f = path.open('rb+')
-            dnew = py.builtin.pickle.load(f)
+            dnew = py.std.pickle.load(f)
             assert d == dnew
         finally:
             f.close()
diff --git a/py/test/pycollect.py b/py/test/pycollect.py
index a5f8d6498..0da86e374 100644
--- a/py/test/pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/pycollect.py
@@ -345,8 +345,7 @@ class Function(FunctionMixin, py.test.collect.Item):
 
     def readkeywords(self):
         d = super(Function, self).readkeywords()
-        d.update(getattr(self.obj, '__dict__', 
-                         getattr(self.obj, 'func_dict', {})))
+        d.update(py.builtin._getfuncdict(self.obj))
         return d
 
     def runtest(self):