diff --git a/django/template/__init__.py b/django/template/__init__.py
index 780dbc29fc..cd1bf167c8 100644
--- a/django/template/__init__.py
+++ b/django/template/__init__.py
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ __all__ = ('Engine', 'engines')
 # Django Template Language
 
 # Public exceptions
-from .base import (TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateSyntaxError,           # NOQA
-                   VariableDoesNotExist)
+from .base import VariableDoesNotExist                                  # NOQA
 from .context import ContextPopException                                # NOQA
+from .exceptions import TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateSyntaxError       # NOQA
 
 # Template parts
 from .base import (Context, Node, NodeList, Origin, RequestContext,     # NOQA
diff --git a/django/template/base.py b/django/template/base.py
index 3f1e1c2d72..3fd02570c2 100644
--- a/django/template/base.py
+++ b/django/template/base.py
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ from django.utils.text import (
 from django.utils.timezone import template_localtime
 from django.utils.translation import pgettext_lazy, ugettext_lazy
 
+from .exceptions import TemplateSyntaxError
+
 TOKEN_TEXT = 0
 TOKEN_VAR = 1
 TOKEN_BLOCK = 2
@@ -129,36 +131,6 @@ builtins = []
 logger = logging.getLogger('django.template')
 
 
-class TemplateSyntaxError(Exception):
-    pass
-
-
-class TemplateDoesNotExist(Exception):
-    """
-    The exception used by backends when a template does not exist. Accepts the
-    following optional arguments:
-
-    backend
-        The template backend class used when raising this exception.
-
-    tried
-        A list of sources that were tried when finding the template. This
-        is formatted as a list of tuples containing (origin, status), where
-        origin is an Origin object and status is a string with the reason the
-        template wasn't found.
-
-    chain
-        A list of intermediate TemplateDoesNotExist exceptions. This is used to
-        encapsulate multiple exceptions when loading templates from multiple
-        engines.
-    """
-    def __init__(self, msg, tried=None, backend=None, chain=None):
-        self.backend = backend
-        self.tried = tried or []
-        self.chain = chain or []
-        super(TemplateDoesNotExist, self).__init__(msg)
-
-
 class TemplateEncodingError(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/django/template/defaultfilters.py b/django/template/defaultfilters.py
index a3a9004494..7073bfaf4f 100644
--- a/django/template/defaultfilters.py
+++ b/django/template/defaultfilters.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from functools import wraps
 from pprint import pformat
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.template.base import Library, Variable, VariableDoesNotExist
 from django.utils import formats, six
 from django.utils.dateformat import format, time_format
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@ from django.utils.text import (
 from django.utils.timesince import timesince, timeuntil
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext, ungettext
 
+from .base import Library, Variable, VariableDoesNotExist
+
 register = Library()
 
 
diff --git a/django/template/defaulttags.py b/django/template/defaulttags.py
index 60d6839ca5..df2de0f2ea 100644
--- a/django/template/defaulttags.py
+++ b/django/template/defaulttags.py
@@ -9,7 +9,14 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from itertools import cycle as itertools_cycle, groupby
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.template.base import (
+from django.utils import six, timezone
+from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
+from django.utils.encoding import force_text, smart_text
+from django.utils.html import format_html
+from django.utils.lorem_ipsum import paragraphs, words
+from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
+
+from .base import (
     BLOCK_TAG_END, BLOCK_TAG_START, COMMENT_TAG_END, COMMENT_TAG_START,
     SINGLE_BRACE_END, SINGLE_BRACE_START, VARIABLE_ATTRIBUTE_SEPARATOR,
     VARIABLE_TAG_END, VARIABLE_TAG_START, Context, InvalidTemplateLibrary,
@@ -17,14 +24,8 @@ from django.template.base import (
     VariableDoesNotExist, get_library, kwarg_re, render_value_in_context,
     token_kwargs,
 )
-from django.template.defaultfilters import date
-from django.template.smartif import IfParser, Literal
-from django.utils import six, timezone
-from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
-from django.utils.encoding import force_text, smart_text
-from django.utils.html import format_html
-from django.utils.lorem_ipsum import paragraphs, words
-from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
+from .defaultfilters import date
+from .smartif import IfParser, Literal
 
 register = Library()
 
diff --git a/django/template/engine.py b/django/template/engine.py
index 90015dfacc..241759229b 100644
--- a/django/template/engine.py
+++ b/django/template/engine.py
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
 
-from .base import Context, Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from .base import Context, Template
 from .context import _builtin_context_processors
+from .exceptions import TemplateDoesNotExist
 
 _context_instance_undefined = object()
 _dictionary_undefined = object()
diff --git a/django/template/exceptions.py b/django/template/exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08650fb97d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/template/exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+"""
+This module contains generic exceptions used by template backends. Although,
+due to historical reasons, the Django template language also internally uses
+these exceptions, other exceptions specific to the DTL should not be added
+here.
+"""
+
+
+class TemplateDoesNotExist(Exception):
+    """
+    The exception used when a template does not exist. Accepts the following
+    optional arguments:
+
+    backend
+        The template backend class used when raising this exception.
+
+    tried
+        A list of sources that were tried when finding the template. This
+        is formatted as a list of tuples containing (origin, status), where
+        origin is an Origin object or duck type and status is a string with the
+        reason the template wasn't found.
+
+    chain
+        A list of intermediate TemplateDoesNotExist exceptions. This is used to
+        encapsulate multiple exceptions when loading templates from multiple
+        engines.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, msg, tried=None, backend=None, chain=None):
+        self.backend = backend
+        if tried is None:
+            tried = []
+        self.tried = tried
+        if chain is None:
+            chain = []
+        self.chain = chain
+        super(TemplateDoesNotExist, self).__init__(msg)
+
+
+class TemplateSyntaxError(Exception):
+    """
+    The exception used for syntax errors during parsing or rendering.
+    """
+    pass
diff --git a/django/template/loader.py b/django/template/loader.py
index 43146e42b6..123eb7167f 100644
--- a/django/template/loader.py
+++ b/django/template/loader.py
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 
 from . import engines
 from .backends.django import DjangoTemplates
-from .base import TemplateDoesNotExist
 from .engine import (
     _context_instance_undefined, _dictionary_undefined, _dirs_undefined,
 )
+from .exceptions import TemplateDoesNotExist
 from .loaders import base
 
 
diff --git a/django/template/loader_tags.py b/django/template/loader_tags.py
index 3b846a4099..4c662168e9 100644
--- a/django/template/loader_tags.py
+++ b/django/template/loader_tags.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 from collections import defaultdict
 
-from django.template.base import (
+from django.utils import six
+from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
+
+from .base import (
     Library, Node, Template, TemplateSyntaxError, TextNode, Variable,
     token_kwargs,
 )
-from django.utils import six
-from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 register = Library()
 
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/base.py b/django/template/loaders/base.py
index b848bc05ce..4c429f7883 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/base.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/base.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import warnings
 from inspect import getargspec
 
-from django.template.base import Origin, Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import Origin, Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango21Warning
 
 
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/cached.py b/django/template/loaders/cached.py
index b543a83026..4c9aa3077b 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/cached.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/cached.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import hashlib
 import warnings
 from inspect import getargspec
 
-from django.template.base import Origin, Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import Origin, Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango21Warning
 from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes
 
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/eggs.py b/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
index 9dc291e485..44caee45cd 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import warnings
 
 from django.apps import apps
-from django.template.base import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango21Warning
 
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py b/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
index e1ed0ba5e0..e21b85ef10 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import io
 import warnings
 
 from django.core.exceptions import SuspiciousFileOperation
-from django.template.base import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.utils._os import safe_join
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango21Warning
 
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/locmem.py b/django/template/loaders/locmem.py
index f0ef792b35..afb716db4b 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/locmem.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/locmem.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Wrapper for loading templates from a plain Python dict.
 
 import warnings
 
-from django.template.base import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import Origin, TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango21Warning
 
 from .base import Loader as BaseLoader
diff --git a/django/template/response.py b/django/template/response.py
index 094907ed97..1346303701 100644
--- a/django/template/response.py
+++ b/django/template/response.py
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import warnings
 
 from django.http import HttpResponse
-from django.template import Context, RequestContext, Template, loader
-from django.template.backends.django import Template as BackendTemplate
-from django.template.context import _current_app_undefined
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 
+from .backends.django import Template as BackendTemplate
+from .base import Template
+from .context import Context, RequestContext, _current_app_undefined
+from .loader import get_template, select_template
+
 
 class ContentNotRenderedError(Exception):
     pass
@@ -75,9 +77,9 @@ class SimpleTemplateResponse(HttpResponse):
     def resolve_template(self, template):
         "Accepts a template object, path-to-template or list of paths"
         if isinstance(template, (list, tuple)):
-            return loader.select_template(template, using=self.using)
+            return select_template(template, using=self.using)
         elif isinstance(template, six.string_types):
-            return loader.get_template(template, using=self.using)
+            return get_template(template, using=self.using)
         else:
             return template
 
diff --git a/tests/i18n/tests.py b/tests/i18n/tests.py
index 0be38f27b8..751419ffcb 100644
--- a/tests/i18n/tests.py
+++ b/tests/i18n/tests.py
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ from unittest import skipUnless
 
 from django import forms
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.template import Context, Template
-from django.template.base import TemplateSyntaxError
+from django.template import Context, Template, TemplateSyntaxError
 from django.test import RequestFactory, TestCase, override_settings
 from django.utils import six, translation
 from django.utils._os import upath
diff --git a/tests/view_tests/tests/test_debug.py b/tests/view_tests/tests/test_debug.py
index ca852f0f0d..17c4f6e359 100644
--- a/tests/view_tests/tests/test_debug.py
+++ b/tests/view_tests/tests/test_debug.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from unittest import skipIf
 from django.core import mail
 from django.core.files.uploadedfile import SimpleUploadedFile
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
-from django.template.base import TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
 from django.test import RequestFactory, TestCase, override_settings
 from django.test.utils import LoggingCaptureMixin
 from django.utils import six