diff --git a/GPy/__init__.py b/GPy/__init__.py
index 392cefd3..6ca18c49 100644
--- a/GPy/__init__.py
+++ b/GPy/__init__.py
@@ -14,9 +14,16 @@ from . import testing
 from . import kern
 from . import plotting
 
+# backwards compatibility
+import sys
+backwards_compatibility = ['lists_and_dicts', 'observable_array', 'ties_and_remappings', 'index_operations']
+for bc in backwards_compatibility:
+    sys.modules['GPy.core.parameterization.{!s}'.format(bc)] = getattr(core.parameterization, bc)
+
+
 # Direct imports for convenience:
 from .core import Model
-from GPy.core.parameterization import priors
+from .core.parameterization import priors
 from paramz import Param, Parameterized, ObsAr, transformations as constraints
 
 from .__version__ import __version__
@@ -40,27 +47,23 @@ def load(file_or_path):
     :param file_name: path/to/file.pickle
     """
     # This is the pickling pain when changing _src -> src
+    import inspect
+    sys.modules['GPy.kern._src'] = kern.src
+    for name, module in inspect.getmembers(kern.src):
+        if not name.startswith('_'):
+            sys.modules['GPy.kern._src.{}'.format(name)] = module
     try:
-        try:
-            import cPickle as pickle
-            if isinstance(file_or_path, basestring):
-                with open(file_or_path, 'rb') as f:
-                    m = pickle.load(f)
-            else:
-                m = pickle.load(file_or_path)
-        except:
-            import pickle
-            if isinstance(file_or_path, str):
-                with open(file_or_path, 'rb') as f:
-                    m = pickle.load(f)
-            else:
-                m = pickle.load(file_or_path)
-    except ImportError:
-        import sys
-        import inspect
-        sys.modules['GPy.kern._src'] = kern.src
-        for name, module in inspect.getmembers(kern.src):
-            if not name.startswith('_'):
-                sys.modules['GPy.kern._src.{}'.format(name)] = module
-        m = load(file_or_path)
+        import cPickle as pickle
+        if isinstance(file_or_path, basestring):
+            with open(file_or_path, 'rb') as f:
+                m = pickle.load(f)
+        else:
+            m = pickle.load(file_or_path)
+    except:
+        import pickle
+        if isinstance(file_or_path, str):
+            with open(file_or_path, 'rb') as f:
+                m = pickle.load(f)
+        else:
+            m = pickle.load(file_or_path)
     return m
diff --git a/GPy/core/__init__.py b/GPy/core/__init__.py
index b55ff574..9fa2e9c9 100644
--- a/GPy/core/__init__.py
+++ b/GPy/core/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 from GPy.core.model import Model
 from .parameterization import Param, Parameterized
+import parameterization
 
 from .gp import GP
 from .svgp import SVGP
diff --git a/GPy/core/parameterization/__init__.py b/GPy/core/parameterization/__init__.py
index c31486d4..543b691b 100644
--- a/GPy/core/parameterization/__init__.py
+++ b/GPy/core/parameterization/__init__.py
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@
 
 from .param import Param
 from .parameterized import Parameterized
-from paramz import transformations
\ No newline at end of file
+from paramz import transformations
+
+from paramz.core import lists_and_dicts, index_operations, observable_array, observable
+from paramz import ties_and_remappings
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/visualize.py b/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/visualize.py
index 46558763..ce95d1ef 100644
--- a/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/visualize.py
+++ b/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/visualize.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import time
-from .*core.variational import VariationalPosterior
+from ...core.parameterization.variational import VariationalPosterior
+
 try:
     import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
     import matplotlib as mpl