diff --git a/hickle/hickle.py b/hickle/hickle.py
index 6a986eff..ed0c1ea8 100644
--- a/hickle/hickle.py
+++ b/hickle/hickle.py
@@ -51,15 +51,8 @@
 if PY3:
     file = io.TextIOWrapper
 
-# Import a default 'pickler'
-# Not the nicest import code, but should work on Py2/Py3
-try:
-    import dill as pickle
-except ImportError:
-    try:
-        import cPickle as pickle
-    except ImportError:
-        import pickle
+# Import dill as pickle
+import dill as pickle
 
 try:
     from pathlib import Path
diff --git a/hickle/loaders/load_python.py b/hickle/loaders/load_python.py
index 58de921e..f53aee0f 100644
--- a/hickle/loaders/load_python.py
+++ b/hickle/loaders/load_python.py
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ def load_unicode_dataset(h_node):
 def load_none_dataset(h_node):
     return None
 
+def load_pickled_data(h_node):
+    py_type, data = get_type_and_data(h_node)
+    import dill as pickle
+    return pickle.loads(data[0])
+
 def load_python_dtype_dataset(h_node):
     py_type, data = get_type_and_data(h_node)
     subtype = h_node.attrs["python_subdtype"]
@@ -136,6 +141,7 @@ def load_python_dtype_dataset(h_node):
     "python_dtype"   : load_python_dtype_dataset,
     "string"         : load_string_dataset,
     "unicode"        : load_unicode_dataset,
+    "pickle"         : load_pickled_data,
     "none"           : load_none_dataset
 }
 
diff --git a/hickle/loaders/load_python3.py b/hickle/loaders/load_python3.py
index c6b173fd..f532f324 100644
--- a/hickle/loaders/load_python3.py
+++ b/hickle/loaders/load_python3.py
@@ -153,10 +153,7 @@ def load_none_dataset(h_node):
 
 def load_pickled_data(h_node):
     py_type, data = get_type_and_data(h_node)
-    try:
-        import cPickle as pickle
-    except ModuleNotFoundError:
-        import pickle
+    import dill as pickle
     return pickle.loads(data[0])
 
 
diff --git a/hickle/tests/test_hickle.py b/hickle/tests/test_hickle.py
index 54910542..57686306 100644
--- a/hickle/tests/test_hickle.py
+++ b/hickle/tests/test_hickle.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import six
 import time
 from pprint import pprint
+import pytest
 
 from py.path import local
 
@@ -42,9 +43,24 @@
     }
 }
 
+# Define a test function that must be serialized and unpacked again
+def func(a, b, c=0):
+    return(a, b, c)
+
+
 DUMP_CACHE = []             # Used in test_track_times()
 
 
+def test_local_func():
+    """ Dumping and loading a local function """
+    filename, mode = 'test.h5', 'w'
+    with pytest.warns(SerializedWarning):
+        dump(func, filename, mode)
+    func_hkl = load(filename)
+    assert type(func) == type(func_hkl)
+    assert func(1, 2) == func_hkl(1, 2)
+
+
 def test_string():
     """ Dumping and loading a string """
     if six.PY2:
@@ -821,6 +837,7 @@ def test_np_scalar():
     test_complex_dict()
     test_multi_hickle()
     test_dict_int_key()
+    test_local_func()
 
     # Cleanup
     print("ALL TESTS PASSED!")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b3846b87..9dce5b33 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
-h5py
-numpy
-dill
+dill>=0.3.0
+h5py>=2.8.0
+numpy>=1.8
+six>=1.11.0
\ No newline at end of file