diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/jsonfile.py b/lib/ansible/cache/jsonfile.py
index 1ccf9b4a558..b7d72c8d2e8 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/jsonfile.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/jsonfile.py
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ import time
 import errno
 
 try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
     import simplejson as json
+except ImportError:
+    import json
 
 from ansible import constants as C
 from ansible import utils
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py b/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
index 776c6c7f807..7ae5ef74c16 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cache/redis.py
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ import collections
 import sys
 import time
 
+try:
+    import simplejson as json
+except ImportError:
+    import json
+
 from ansible import constants as C
 from ansible.utils import jsonify
 from ansible.cache.base import BaseCacheModule
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index a735e9c0b0e..44db63e2769 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ import warnings
 import traceback
 import getpass
 import sys
-import json
 import subprocess
 import contextlib
 
@@ -63,9 +62,10 @@ CODE_REGEX = re.compile(r'(?:{%|%})')
 
 
 try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
+    # simplejson can be much faster if it's available
     import simplejson as json
+except ImportError:
+    import json
 
 # Note, sha1 is the only hash algorithm compatible with python2.4 and with
 # FIPS-140 mode (as of 11-2014)