diff --git a/pysilcam/silcam_classify.py b/pysilcam/silcam_classify.py
index 86e6d8d1..3f493346 100644
--- a/pysilcam/silcam_classify.py
+++ b/pysilcam/silcam_classify.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 import scipy
-import tensorflow.keras as keras
 
 '''
 SilCam TensorFlow analysis for classification of particle types
@@ -67,6 +66,8 @@ def load_model(model_path):
     Returns:
         model (tf model object) : loaded tf.keras model from load_model()
     '''
+    import tensorflow.keras as keras
+
     path, filename = os.path.split(model_path)
     header = pd.read_csv(os.path.join(path, 'header.tfl.txt'))
     class_labels = header.columns
diff --git a/pysilcam/tests/test_z_classify.py b/pysilcam/tests/test_z_classify.py
index 07943646..06e0f220 100644
--- a/pysilcam/tests/test_z_classify.py
+++ b/pysilcam/tests/test_z_classify.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 import os
 import numpy as np
 import unittest
-import tensorflow as tf
 
 # Get user-defined path to unittest data folder
 ROOTPATH = os.environ.get('UNITTEST_DATA_PATH', None)
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@ def test_classify():
 
     @todo include more advanced testing of the classification feks. assert values in a confusion matrix.
     '''
+    import tensorflow as tf
 
     # location of the training data
     database_path = os.path.join(ROOTPATH, 'silcam_classification_database')