diff --git a/platformio/compat.py b/platformio/compat.py
index 712f65bc..1359bdad 100644
--- a/platformio/compat.py
+++ b/platformio/compat.py
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ def get_filesystem_encoding():
 
 
 if PY2:
+    import imp
+
     # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
     string_types = (str, unicode)
 
@@ -76,8 +78,12 @@ if PY2:
             pathname = _magic_check.sub(r"[\1]", pathname)
         return drive + pathname
 
+    def load_python_module(name, pathname):
+        return imp.load_source(name, pathname)
+
 
 else:
+    import importlib.util
     from glob import escape as glob_escape  # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
 
     string_types = (str,)
@@ -107,3 +113,9 @@ else:
         if isinstance(obj, string_types):
             return obj
         return json.dumps(obj, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True)
+
+    def load_python_module(name, pathname):
+        spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(name, pathname)
+        module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+        spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+        return module
diff --git a/platformio/managers/platform.py b/platformio/managers/platform.py
index 4ab20b8d..124a4245 100644
--- a/platformio/managers/platform.py
+++ b/platformio/managers/platform.py
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@ import base64
 import os
 import re
 import sys
-from imp import load_source
 from os.path import basename, dirname, isdir, isfile, join
 
 import click
 import semantic_version
 
 from platformio import __version__, app, exception, fs, util
-from platformio.compat import PY2, hashlib_encode_data, is_bytes
+from platformio.compat import PY2, hashlib_encode_data, is_bytes, load_python_module
 from platformio.managers.core import get_core_package_dir
 from platformio.managers.package import BasePkgManager, PackageManager
 from platformio.proc import (
@@ -230,12 +229,10 @@ class PlatformFactory(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def load_module(name, path):
-        module = None
         try:
-            module = load_source("platformio.managers.platform.%s" % name, path)
+            return load_python_module("platformio.managers.platform.%s" % name, path)
         except ImportError:
             raise exception.UnknownPlatform(name)
-        return module
 
     @classmethod
     def newPlatform(cls, name, requirements=None):