diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py
index 2cebf1f4c925..557356f97fa8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/__init__.py
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ def pylab_setup():
         backend_name = 'backend_'+backend
         backend_name = backend_name.lower() # until we banish mixed case
         backend_name = 'matplotlib.backends.%s'%backend_name.lower()
+
+    # the last argument is specifies whether to use absolute or relative
+    # imports. 0 means only perform absolute imports.
     backend_mod = __import__(backend_name,
-                             globals(),locals(),[backend_name])
+                             globals(),locals(),[backend_name],0)
 
     # Things we pull in from all backends
     new_figure_manager = backend_mod.new_figure_manager