diff --git a/src/plumpy/message.py b/src/plumpy/message.py
index 7b2922eb..47586d21 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/message.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/message.py
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, Optional, Sequence, Union, cast
 
-import kiwipy
-
+from plumpy.coordinator import Communicator
 from plumpy.exceptions import PersistenceError, TaskRejectedError
 
 from . import loaders, persistence
@@ -185,7 +184,7 @@ def __init__(
         else:
             self._loader = loaders.get_object_loader()
 
-    async def __call__(self, communicator: kiwipy.Communicator, task: Dict[str, Any]) -> Union[PID_TYPE, Any]:
+    async def __call__(self, communicator: Communicator, task: Dict[str, Any]) -> Union[PID_TYPE, Any]:
         """
         Receive a task.
         :param task: The task message
diff --git a/src/plumpy/processes.py b/src/plumpy/processes.py
index 93c52767..02dd123b 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/processes.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/processes.py
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ def message_receive(self, _comm: Communicator, msg: Dict[str, Any]) -> Any:
 
     def broadcast_receive(
         self, _comm: Communicator, body: Any, sender: Any, subject: Any, correlation_id: Any
-    ) -> Optional[kiwipy.Future]:
+    ) -> Optional[concurrent.futures.Future]:
         """
         Coroutine called when the process receives a message from the communicator
 
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ def broadcast_receive(
 
         return fn
 
-    def _schedule_rpc(self, callback: Callable[..., Any], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> kiwipy.Future:
+    def _schedule_rpc(self, callback: Callable[..., Any], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> concurrent.futures.Future:
         """
         Schedule a call to a callback as a result of an RPC communication call, this will return
         a future that resolves to the final result (even after one or more layer of futures being
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ def _schedule_rpc(self, callback: Callable[..., Any], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any)
         :return: a kiwi future that resolves to the outcome of the callback
 
         """
-        kiwi_future = kiwipy.Future()
+        kiwi_future = concurrent.futures.Future()
 
         async def run_callback() -> None:
             with capture_exceptions(kiwi_future):
diff --git a/src/plumpy/workchains.py b/src/plumpy/workchains.py
index b48b1c6b..5cbee3c0 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/workchains.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/workchains.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 import kiwipy
 
+from plumpy.coordinator import Communicator
+
 from . import lang, mixins, persistence, process_states, processes
 from .utils import PID_TYPE, SAVED_STATE_TYPE
 
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ def __init__(
         pid: Optional[PID_TYPE] = None,
         logger: Optional[logging.Logger] = None,
         loop: Optional[asyncio.AbstractEventLoop] = None,
-        communicator: Optional[kiwipy.Communicator] = None,
+        communicator: Optional[Communicator] = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(inputs=inputs, pid=pid, logger=logger, loop=loop, communicator=communicator)
         self._stepper: Optional[Stepper] = None