diff --git a/_pytest/_code/source.py b/_pytest/_code/source.py
index 2638c598b..322c72afb 100644
--- a/_pytest/_code/source.py
+++ b/_pytest/_code/source.py
@@ -1,19 +1,15 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, generators, print_function
 
+import ast
+from ast import PyCF_ONLY_AST as _AST_FLAG
 from bisect import bisect_right
 import sys
 import six
 import inspect
 import tokenize
 import py
-cpy_compile = compile
 
-try:
-    import _ast
-    from _ast import PyCF_ONLY_AST as _AST_FLAG
-except ImportError:
-    _AST_FLAG = 0
-    _ast = None
+cpy_compile = compile
 
 
 class Source(object):
@@ -209,7 +205,7 @@ def compile_(source, filename=None, mode='exec', flags=generators.compiler_flag,
         retrieval of the source code for the code object
         and any recursively created code objects.
     """
-    if _ast is not None and isinstance(source, _ast.AST):
+    if isinstance(source, ast.AST):
         # XXX should Source support having AST?
         return cpy_compile(source, filename, mode, flags, dont_inherit)
     _genframe = sys._getframe(1)  # the caller
@@ -322,7 +318,7 @@ def get_statement_startend2(lineno, node):
     # AST's line numbers start indexing at 1
     values = []
     for x in ast.walk(node):
-        if isinstance(x, _ast.stmt) or isinstance(x, _ast.ExceptHandler):
+        if isinstance(x, ast.stmt) or isinstance(x, ast.ExceptHandler):
             values.append(x.lineno - 1)
             for name in "finalbody", "orelse":
                 val = getattr(x, name, None)
diff --git a/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py b/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
index f64358f49..92deb6539 100644
--- a/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
+++ b/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Rewrite assertion AST to produce nice error messages"""
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 import ast
-import _ast
 import errno
 import itertools
 import imp
@@ -914,7 +913,7 @@ class AssertionRewriter(ast.NodeVisitor):
     def visit_Compare(self, comp):
         self.push_format_context()
         left_res, left_expl = self.visit(comp.left)
-        if isinstance(comp.left, (_ast.Compare, _ast.BoolOp)):
+        if isinstance(comp.left, (ast.Compare, ast.BoolOp)):
             left_expl = "({0})".format(left_expl)
         res_variables = [self.variable() for i in range(len(comp.ops))]
         load_names = [ast.Name(v, ast.Load()) for v in res_variables]
@@ -925,7 +924,7 @@ class AssertionRewriter(ast.NodeVisitor):
         results = [left_res]
         for i, op, next_operand in it:
             next_res, next_expl = self.visit(next_operand)
-            if isinstance(next_operand, (_ast.Compare, _ast.BoolOp)):
+            if isinstance(next_operand, (ast.Compare, ast.BoolOp)):
                 next_expl = "({0})".format(next_expl)
             results.append(next_res)
             sym = binop_map[op.__class__]