diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index da81e00..0bfc4c9 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 '''
 
 import vdirsyncer.log
-from vdirsyncer.utils import text_type
+from vdirsyncer.utils.compat import text_type
 from vdirsyncer.utils.vobject import normalize_item as _normalize_item
 vdirsyncer.log.set_level(vdirsyncer.log.logging.DEBUG)
 
diff --git a/tests/storage/__init__.py b/tests/storage/__init__.py
index 20803d0..d8147d3 100644
--- a/tests/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/storage/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import pytest
 from .. import assert_item_equals, SIMPLE_TEMPLATE
 import vdirsyncer.exceptions as exceptions
 from vdirsyncer.storage.base import Item
-from vdirsyncer.utils import text_type, iteritems
+from vdirsyncer.utils.compat import text_type, iteritems
 
 
 class StorageTests(object):
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
index d6984a0..e85b8f2 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 from .. import exceptions
 from .. import utils
+from ..utils.compat import text_type
 
 
 class Item(object):
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class Item(object):
     This is either the UID or the hash of the item's content.'''
 
     def __init__(self, raw):
-        assert isinstance(raw, utils.text_type)
+        assert isinstance(raw, text_type)
 
         for line in raw.splitlines():
             if line.startswith(u'UID:'):
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/dav.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/dav.py
index ac5cb5a..12725e1 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/dav.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/dav.py
@@ -290,10 +290,10 @@ class DavStorage(Storage):
             raise ValueError(href)
         x = utils.urlparse.urljoin(self.session.url, href)
         assert x.startswith(self.session.url)
-        return utils.urlunquote_plus(utils.urlparse.urlsplit(x).path)
+        return utils.compat.urlunquote_plus(utils.urlparse.urlsplit(x).path)
 
     def _get_href(self, item):
-        href = utils.urlunquote_plus(item.ident) + self.fileext
+        href = utils.compat.urlunquote_plus(item.ident) + self.fileext
         return self._normalize_href(href)
 
     def get(self, href):
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/filesystem.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/filesystem.py
index 055f74a..6f1c093 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/filesystem.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/filesystem.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import os
 from .base import Item, Storage
 import vdirsyncer.exceptions as exceptions
 import vdirsyncer.log as log
-from vdirsyncer.utils import expand_path, text_type, safe_write, \
-    get_etag_from_file, checkdir
+from ..utils import expand_path, safe_write, get_etag_from_file, checkdir
+from ..utils.compat import text_type
 
 logger = log.get(__name__)
 
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/http.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/http.py
index 978b7de..63a65b7 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/http.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/http.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 '''
 
 from .base import Item, Storage
-from ..utils import expand_path, get_password, request, text_type, urlparse
+from ..utils import expand_path, get_password, request
+from ..utils.compat import text_type, urlparse
 from ..utils.vobject import split_collection
 from ..exceptions import NotFoundError
 
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/singlefile.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/singlefile.py
index 1ed95b4..ee35d08 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/singlefile.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/singlefile.py
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@ import collections
 from .base import Item, Storage
 import vdirsyncer.exceptions as exceptions
 import vdirsyncer.log as log
-from vdirsyncer.utils import expand_path, safe_write, itervalues, checkfile
-from vdirsyncer.utils.vobject import split_collection, join_collection
+from ..utils import expand_path, safe_write, checkfile
+from ..utils.compat import itervalues
+from ..utils.vobject import split_collection, join_collection
 
 logger = log.get(__name__)
 
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/sync.py b/vdirsyncer/sync.py
index e93525e..2d03549 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/sync.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/sync.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 import itertools
 
 from . import exceptions, log
-from .utils import iteritems, text_type
+from .utils.compat import iteritems, text_type
 sync_logger = log.get(__name__)
 
 
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py b/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
index c639ae0..246c2ec 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
@@ -8,35 +8,15 @@
 '''
 
 import os
-import sys
 import requests
 
 from .. import log, exceptions
+from .compat import urlparse
 
 
 logger = log.get(__name__)
 
 
-PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
-
-
-if PY2:
-    import urlparse
-    from urllib import \
-         quote_plus as urlquote_plus, \
-         unquote_plus as urlunquote_plus
-    text_type = unicode  # flake8: noqa
-    iteritems = lambda x: x.iteritems()
-    itervalues = lambda x: x.itervalues()
-else:
-    import urllib.parse as urlparse
-    urlquote_plus = urlparse.quote_plus
-    urlunquote_plus = urlparse.unquote_plus
-    text_type = str
-    iteritems = lambda x: x.items()
-    itervalues = lambda x: x.values()
-
-
 try:
     import keyring
 except ImportError:
@@ -284,6 +264,7 @@ def get_class_init_args(cls):
 
     return all | s_all, required | s_required
 
+
 def checkdir(path, create=False):
     if not os.path.isdir(path):
         if os.path.exists(path):
@@ -296,6 +277,7 @@ def checkdir(path, create=False):
                           'create it, or create it '
                           'yourself.'.format(path))
 
+
 def checkfile(path, create=False):
     checkdir(os.path.dirname(path), create=create)
     if not os.path.isfile(path):
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/utils/compat.py b/vdirsyncer/utils/compat.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94dc822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vdirsyncer/utils/compat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+'''
+    vdirsyncer.utils.compat
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    :copyright: (c) 2014 Markus Unterwaditzer & contributors
+    :license: MIT, see LICENSE for more details.
+'''
+
+import sys
+
+PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
+
+
+if PY2:
+    import urlparse
+    from urllib import \
+         quote_plus as urlquote_plus, \
+         unquote_plus as urlunquote_plus
+    text_type = unicode  # flake8: noqa
+    iteritems = lambda x: x.iteritems()
+    itervalues = lambda x: x.itervalues()
+else:
+    import urllib.parse as urlparse
+    urlquote_plus = urlparse.quote_plus
+    urlunquote_plus = urlparse.unquote_plus
+    text_type = str
+    iteritems = lambda x: x.items()
+    itervalues = lambda x: x.values()
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/utils/vobject.py b/vdirsyncer/utils/vobject.py
index 9e01272..8ffd4b2 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/utils/vobject.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/utils/vobject.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import icalendar.cal
 import icalendar.parser
 import icalendar.caselessdict
 
-from . import text_type, itervalues
+from .compat import text_type, itervalues
 
 
 def _process_properties(*s):