diff --git a/smart_open/doctools.py b/smart_open/doctools.py
index daa2bc01..880b9e72 100644
--- a/smart_open/doctools.py
+++ b/smart_open/doctools.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import re
 
 from . import compression
-from . import transport
 
 PLACEHOLDER = '    smart_open/doctools.py magic goes here'
 
@@ -214,6 +213,8 @@ def tweak_open_docstring(f):
 
 
 def tweak_parse_uri_docstring(f):
+    from . import transport
+
     buf = io.StringIO()
     seen = set()
     schemes = []
diff --git a/smart_open/smart_open_lib.py b/smart_open/smart_open_lib.py
index 25b12677..ef684e71 100644
--- a/smart_open/smart_open_lib.py
+++ b/smart_open/smart_open_lib.py
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 import smart_open.utils as so_utils
 
 from smart_open import doctools
-from smart_open import transport
 
 #
 # For backwards compatibility and keeping old unit tests happy.
@@ -77,6 +76,8 @@ def parse_uri(uri_as_string):
     -----
     smart_open/doctools.py magic goes here
     """
+    from smart_open import transport
+
     scheme = _sniff_scheme(uri_as_string)
     submodule = transport.get_transport(scheme)
     as_dict = submodule.parse_uri(uri_as_string)
@@ -332,6 +333,8 @@ def _shortcut_open(
     :returns: The opened file
     :rtype: file
     """
+    from smart_open import transport
+
     if not isinstance(uri, str):
         return None
 
@@ -374,6 +377,8 @@ def _open_binary_stream(uri, mode, transport_params):
     :returns: A named file object
     :rtype: file-like object with a .name attribute
     """
+    from smart_open import transport
+
     if mode not in ('rb', 'rb+', 'wb', 'wb+', 'ab', 'ab+'):
         #
         # This should really be a ValueError, but for the sake of compatibility