diff --git a/bin/main.py b/bin/main.py
index 7b4ee81ac28c9a279a15a49c3015f6976c409013..5bc990d5c6dde03d5d78a4147893350a65c03970 100755
--- a/bin/main.py
+++ b/bin/main.py
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 
 
 from os import path
+
 # ensure geomag is on the path before importing
-script_dir = path.dirname(path.abspath(__file__))
-if __file__ != 'bin/main.py':
-    import sys
+try:
+    import geomagio
+except:
+    from os import path
+    script_dir = path.dirname(path.abspath(__file__))
     sys.path.append(path.normpath(path.join(script_dir, '..')))
 
 import geomagio.iaga2002 as iaga2002
diff --git a/bin/xyz.py b/bin/xyz.py
index eb97beb5303739ae813035a6744f50bc3f4116eb..bfef7ea24a8032e7eb587593e333c538df4d98e7 100755
--- a/bin/xyz.py
+++ b/bin/xyz.py
@@ -23,8 +23,11 @@
 
 import argparse
 import sys
+
 # ensure geomag is on the path before importing
-if __file__ != 'bin/xyz.py':
+try:
+    import geomagio
+except:
     from os import path
     script_dir = path.dirname(path.abspath(__file__))
     sys.path.append(path.normpath(path.join(script_dir, '..')))