diff --git a/jrnl/cli.py b/jrnl/cli.py
index 148408d3c..df8808fc4 100644
--- a/jrnl/cli.py
+++ b/jrnl/cli.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import jrnl
 
 from . import install, plugins, util
-from .EncryptedJournal import EncryptedJournal
 from .Journal import PlainJournal, open_journal
 from .util import ERROR_COLOR, RESET_COLOR, UserAbort
 
@@ -242,6 +241,8 @@ def guess_mode(args, config):
 
 def encrypt(journal, filename=None):
     """ Encrypt into new file. If filename is not set, we encrypt the journal file itself. """
+    from .EncryptedJournal import EncryptedJournal
+
     journal.config["encrypt"] = True
 
     new_journal = EncryptedJournal.from_journal(journal)
diff --git a/jrnl/install.py b/jrnl/install.py
index 7844d3e24..58c8cf01f 100644
--- a/jrnl/install.py
+++ b/jrnl/install.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import xdg.BaseDirectory
 import yaml
 
-from . import __version__, upgrade, util
+from . import __version__, util
 from .util import UserAbort, verify_config
 
 if "win32" not in sys.platform:
@@ -96,20 +96,23 @@ def load_or_install_jrnl():
         log.debug("Reading configuration from file %s", config_path)
         config = util.load_config(config_path)
 
-        try:
-            upgrade.upgrade_jrnl_if_necessary(config_path)
-        except upgrade.UpgradeValidationException:
-            print("Aborting upgrade.", file=sys.stderr)
-            print(
-                "Please tell us about this problem at the following URL:",
-                file=sys.stderr,
-            )
-            print(
-                "https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/new?title=UpgradeValidationException",
-                file=sys.stderr,
-            )
-            print("Exiting.", file=sys.stderr)
-            sys.exit(1)
+        if util.is_old_version(config_path):
+            from . import upgrade
+
+            try:
+                upgrade.upgrade_jrnl(config_path)
+            except upgrade.UpgradeValidationException:
+                print("Aborting upgrade.", file=sys.stderr)
+                print(
+                    "Please tell us about this problem at the following URL:",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+                print(
+                    "https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/new?title=UpgradeValidationException",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+                print("Exiting.", file=sys.stderr)
+                sys.exit(1)
 
         upgrade_config(config)
         verify_config(config)
diff --git a/jrnl/time.py b/jrnl/time.py
index 6dc9773e4..25fba0d76 100644
--- a/jrnl/time.py
+++ b/jrnl/time.py
@@ -1,19 +1,22 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 
-from dateutil.parser import parse as dateparse
-
-try:
-    import parsedatetime.parsedatetime_consts as pdt
-except ImportError:
-    import parsedatetime as pdt
 
 FAKE_YEAR = 9999
 DEFAULT_FUTURE = datetime(FAKE_YEAR, 12, 31, 23, 59, 59)
 DEFAULT_PAST = datetime(FAKE_YEAR, 1, 1, 0, 0)
 
-consts = pdt.Constants(usePyICU=False)
-consts.DOWParseStyle = -1  # "Monday" will be either today or the last Monday
-CALENDAR = pdt.Calendar(consts)
+
+def __get_pdt_calendar():
+    try:
+        import parsedatetime.parsedatetime_consts as pdt
+    except ImportError:
+        import parsedatetime as pdt
+
+    consts = pdt.Constants(usePyICU=False)
+    consts.DOWParseStyle = -1  # "Monday" will be either today or the last Monday
+    calendar = pdt.Calendar(consts)
+
+    return calendar
 
 
 def parse(
@@ -35,6 +38,8 @@ def parse(
     year_present = False
     while not date:
         try:
+            from dateutil.parser import parse as dateparse
+
             date = dateparse(date_str, default=default_date)
             if date.year == FAKE_YEAR:
                 date = datetime(datetime.now().year, date.timetuple()[1:6])
@@ -47,7 +52,8 @@ def parse(
                 y, m, d, H, M, S = default_date.timetuple()[:6]
                 default_date = datetime(y, m, d - 1, H, M, S)
             else:
-                date, flag = CALENDAR.parse(date_str)
+                calendar = __get_pdt_calendar()
+                date, flag = calendar.parse(date_str)
 
     if not flag:  # Oops, unparsable.
         try:  # Try and parse this as a single year
diff --git a/jrnl/upgrade.py b/jrnl/upgrade.py
index 762970a11..4a6385638 100644
--- a/jrnl/upgrade.py
+++ b/jrnl/upgrade.py
@@ -34,12 +34,7 @@ def check_exists(path):
     return os.path.exists(path)
 
 
-def upgrade_jrnl_if_necessary(config_path):
-    with open(config_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-        config_file = f.read()
-    if not config_file.strip().startswith("{"):
-        return
-
+def upgrade_jrnl(config_path):
     config = util.load_config(config_path)
 
     print(
diff --git a/jrnl/util.py b/jrnl/util.py
index 8033306bc..5e77fd76a 100644
--- a/jrnl/util.py
+++ b/jrnl/util.py
@@ -123,6 +123,16 @@ def load_config(config_path):
         return yaml.load(f, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
 
 
+def is_config_json(config_path):
+    with open(config_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        config_file = f.read()
+    return config_file.strip().startswith("{")
+
+
+def is_old_version(config_path):
+    return is_config_json(config_path)
+
+
 def scope_config(config, journal_name):
     if journal_name not in config["journals"]:
         return config