diff --git a/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface.c b/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface.c
index b34a41b5af6..2164d3d2d71 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface.c
@@ -236,6 +236,305 @@ static struct _inittab bpy_internal_modules[] = {
     {NULL, NULL},
 };

+static ListBase bpy_import_main_list;
+
+/* returns a dummy filename for a textblock so we can tell what file a text block comes from */
+void bpy_text_filename_get(char *fn, size_t fn_len, Text *text)
+{
+   BLI_snprintf(fn, fn_len, "%s%c%s", ID_BLEND_PATH(G_MAIN, &text->id), SEP, text->id.name + 2);
+}
+
+static void free_compiled_text(Text *text)
+{
+   if (text->compiled) {
+       Py_DECREF((PyObject *)text->compiled);
+   }
+   text->compiled = NULL;
+}
+
+bool bpy_text_compile(Text *text)
+{
+   char fn_dummy[FILE_MAX];
+   PyObject *fn_dummy_py;
+   char *buf;
+
+   bpy_text_filename_get(fn_dummy, sizeof(fn_dummy), text);
+
+   /* if previously compiled, free the object */
+   free_compiled_text(text);
+
+   fn_dummy_py = PyC_UnicodeFromByte(fn_dummy);
+
+   buf = txt_to_buf(text);
+   text->compiled = Py_CompileStringObject(buf, fn_dummy_py, Py_file_input, NULL, -1);
+   MEM_freeN(buf);
+
+   Py_DECREF(fn_dummy_py);
+
+   if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
+       PyErr_Print();
+       PyErr_Clear();
+       PySys_SetObject("last_traceback", NULL);
+       free_compiled_text(text);
+       return false;
+   }
+   else {
+       return true;
+   }
+}
+
+PyObject *bpy_text_import(Text *text)
+{
+   char modulename[MAX_ID_NAME + 2];
+   int len;
+
+   if (!text->compiled) {
+       if (bpy_text_compile(text) == false) {
+           return NULL;
+       }
+   }
+
+   len = strlen(text->id.name + 2);
+   BLI_strncpy(modulename, text->id.name + 2, len);
+   modulename[len - 3] = '\0'; /* remove .py */
+   return PyImport_ExecCodeModule(modulename, text->compiled);
+}
+
+PyObject *bpy_text_import_name(const char *name, int *found)
+{
+   Text *text;
+   char txtname[MAX_ID_NAME - 2];
+   int namelen = strlen(name);
+//XXX  Main *maggie = bpy_import_main ? bpy_import_main : G_MAIN;
+   Main *maggie = G_MAIN;
+
+   *found = 0;
+
+   if (!maggie) {
+       printf("ERROR: bpy_import_main_set() was not called before running python. this is a bug.\n");
+       return NULL;
+   }
+
+   /* we know this cant be importable, the name is too long for blender! */
+   if (namelen >= (MAX_ID_NAME - 2) - 3)
+       return NULL;
+
+   memcpy(txtname, name, namelen);
+   memcpy(&txtname[namelen], ".py", 4);
+
+   text = BLI_findstring(&maggie->texts, txtname, offsetof(ID, name) + 2);
+
+   if (text) {
+       *found = 1;
+       return bpy_text_import(text);
+   }
+
+   /* If we still haven't found the module try additional modules form bpy_import_main_list */
+   maggie = bpy_import_main_list.first;
+   while (maggie && !text) {
+       text = BLI_findstring(&maggie->texts, txtname, offsetof(ID, name) + 2);
+       maggie = maggie->next;
+   }
+
+   if (!text)
+       return NULL;
+   else
+       *found = 1;
+
+   return bpy_text_import(text);
+}
+
+static PyObject *blender_import(PyObject *UNUSED(self), PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
+{
+   PyObject *exception, *err, *tb;
+   const char *name;
+   int found = 0;
+   PyObject *globals = NULL, *locals = NULL, *fromlist = NULL;
+   int level = 0; /* relative imports */
+   PyObject *newmodule;
+
+   static const char *_keywords[] = {"name", "globals", "locals", "fromlist", "level", NULL};
+   static _PyArg_Parser _parser = {"s|OOOi:bpy_import_meth", _keywords, 0};
+   if (!_PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywordsFast(
+           args, kw, &_parser,
+           &name, &globals, &locals, &fromlist, &level))
+   {
+       return NULL;
+   }
+
+   /* import existing builtin modules or modules that have been imported already */
+   newmodule = PyImport_ImportModuleLevel(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level);
+
+   if (newmodule)
+       return newmodule;
+
+   PyErr_Fetch(&exception, &err, &tb); /* get the python error in case we cant import as blender text either */
+
+   /* importing from existing modules failed, see if we have this module as blender text */
+   newmodule = bpy_text_import_name(name, &found);
+
+   if (newmodule) { /* found module as blender text, ignore above exception */
+       PyErr_Clear();
+       Py_XDECREF(exception);
+       Py_XDECREF(err);
+       Py_XDECREF(tb);
+       /* printf("imported from text buffer...\n"); */
+   }
+   else if (found == 1) { /* blender text module failed to execute but was found, use its error message */
+       Py_XDECREF(exception);
+       Py_XDECREF(err);
+       Py_XDECREF(tb);
+       return NULL;
+   }
+   else {
+       /* no blender text was found that could import the module
+        * reuse the original error from PyImport_ImportModuleEx */
+       PyErr_Restore(exception, err, tb);
+   }
+   return newmodule;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * our reload() module, to handle reloading in-memory scripts
+ */
+
+static PyObject   *imp_reload_orig = NULL;
+
+/*
+ * find in-memory module and recompile
+ */
+
+PyObject *bpy_text_reimport(PyObject *module, int *found)
+{
+   Text *text;
+   const char *name;
+   const char *filepath;
+//XXX  Main *maggie = bpy_import_main ? bpy_import_main : G_MAIN;
+   Main *maggie = G_MAIN;
+
+   if (!maggie) {
+       printf("ERROR: bpy_import_main_set() was not called before running python. this is a bug.\n");
+       return NULL;
+   }
+
+   *found = 0;
+
+   /* get name, filename from the module itself */
+   if ((name = PyModule_GetName(module)) == NULL)
+       return NULL;
+
+   {
+       PyObject *module_file = PyModule_GetFilenameObject(module);
+       if (module_file == NULL) {
+           return NULL;
+       }
+       filepath = _PyUnicode_AsString(module_file);
+       Py_DECREF(module_file);
+       if (filepath == NULL) {
+           return NULL;
+       }
+   }
+
+   /* look up the text object */
+   text = BLI_findstring(&maggie->texts, BLI_path_basename(filepath), offsetof(ID, name) + 2);
+
+   /* uh-oh.... didn't find it */
+   if (!text)
+       return NULL;
+   else
+       *found = 1;
+
+   if (bpy_text_compile(text) == false) {
+       return NULL;
+   }
+
+   /* make into a module */
+   return PyImport_ExecCodeModule(name, text->compiled);
+}
+
+static PyObject *blender_reload(PyObject *UNUSED(self), PyObject *module)
+{
+   PyObject *exception, *err, *tb;
+   PyObject *newmodule = NULL;
+   int found = 0;
+
+   /* try reimporting from file */
+
+   /* in Py3.3 this just calls imp.reload() which we overwrite, causing recursive calls */
+   //newmodule = PyImport_ReloadModule(module);
+
+   newmodule = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(imp_reload_orig, module, NULL);
+
+   if (newmodule)
+       return newmodule;
+
+   /* no file, try importing from memory */
+   PyErr_Fetch(&exception, &err, &tb); /*restore for probable later use */
+
+   newmodule = bpy_text_reimport(module, &found);
+   if (newmodule) { /* found module as blender text, ignore above exception */
+       PyErr_Clear();
+       Py_XDECREF(exception);
+       Py_XDECREF(err);
+       Py_XDECREF(tb);
+       /* printf("imported from text buffer...\n"); */
+   }
+   else if (found == 1) { /* blender text module failed to execute but was found, use its error message */
+       Py_XDECREF(exception);
+       Py_XDECREF(err);
+       Py_XDECREF(tb);
+       return NULL;
+   }
+   else {
+       /* no blender text was found that could import the module
+        * reuse the original error from PyImport_ImportModuleEx */
+       PyErr_Restore(exception, err, tb);
+   }
+
+   return newmodule;
+}
+
+static PyMethodDef bpy_import_meth = {"bpy_import_meth", (PyCFunction)blender_import, METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS, "blenders import"};
+static PyMethodDef bpy_reload_meth = {"bpy_reload_meth", (PyCFunction)blender_reload, METH_O, "blenders reload"};
+
+/**
+ * \note to the discerning developer, yes - this is nasty
+ * monkey-patching our own import into Python's builtin 'imp' module.
+ *
+ * However Python's alternative is to use import hooks,
+ * which are implemented in a way that we can't use our own importer as a
+ * fall-back (instead we must try and fail - raise an exception every time).
+ * Since importing from blenders text-blocks is not the common case
+ * I prefer to use Pythons import by default and fall-back to
+ * Blenders - which we can only do by intercepting import calls I'm afraid.
+ * - Campbell
+ */
+void bpy_import_init(PyObject *builtins)
+{
+   PyObject *item;
+   PyObject *mod;
+
+   PyDict_SetItemString(builtins, "__import__", item = PyCFunction_New(&bpy_import_meth, NULL)); Py_DECREF(item);
+
+   /* move reload here
+    * XXX, use import hooks */
+   mod = PyImport_ImportModuleLevel("importlib", NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
+   if (mod) {
+       PyObject *mod_dict = PyModule_GetDict(mod);
+
+       /* blender owns the function */
+       imp_reload_orig = PyDict_GetItemString(mod_dict, "reload");
+       Py_INCREF(imp_reload_orig);
+
+       PyDict_SetItemString(mod_dict, "reload", item = PyCFunction_New(&bpy_reload_meth, NULL)); Py_DECREF(item);
+       Py_DECREF(mod);
+   }
+   else {
+       BLI_assert(!"unable to load 'importlib' module.");
+   }
+}
+
 /* call BPY_context_set first */
 void BPY_python_start(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
@@ -327,6 +626,8 @@ void BPY_python_start(int argc, const char **argv)
   /* bpy.* and lets us import it */
   BPy_init_modules();

+  bpy_import_init(PyEval_GetBuiltins());
+
   pyrna_alloc_types();

 #ifndef WITH_PYTHON_MODULE
@@ -423,12 +724,6 @@ typedef struct {
 } PyModuleObject;
 #endif

-/* returns a dummy filename for a textblock so we can tell what file a text block comes from */
-static void bpy_text_filename_get(char *fn, const Main *bmain, size_t fn_len, const Text *text)
-{
-  BLI_snprintf(fn, fn_len, "%s%c%s", ID_BLEND_PATH(bmain, &text->id), SEP, text->id.name + 2);
-}
-
 static bool python_script_exec(
     bContext *C, const char *fn, struct Text *text, struct ReportList *reports, const bool do_jump)
 {
@@ -449,7 +744,7 @@ static bool python_script_exec(

   if (text) {
     char fn_dummy[FILE_MAXDIR];
-    bpy_text_filename_get(fn_dummy, bmain_old, sizeof(fn_dummy), text);
+    bpy_text_filename_get(fn_dummy, /*bmain_old,*/ sizeof(fn_dummy), text);

     if (text->compiled == NULL) { /* if it wasn't already compiled, do it now */
       char *buf;