diff --git a/artiq/applets/big_number.py b/artiq/applets/big_number.py
index 7eb60cbcd..8d13170b8 100755
--- a/artiq/applets/big_number.py
+++ b/artiq/applets/big_number.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3.5
 
-from quamash import QtWidgets
+from PyQt5 import QtWidgets
 
 from artiq.applets.simple import SimpleApplet
 
diff --git a/artiq/applets/plot_hist.py b/artiq/applets/plot_hist.py
index 54f459d91..ff77365fc 100755
--- a/artiq/applets/plot_hist.py
+++ b/artiq/applets/plot_hist.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3.5
 
 import numpy as np
+import PyQt5  # make sure pyqtgraph imports Qt5
 import pyqtgraph
 
 from artiq.applets.simple import SimpleApplet
diff --git a/artiq/applets/plot_xy.py b/artiq/applets/plot_xy.py
index 4b8221f42..413d90cb2 100755
--- a/artiq/applets/plot_xy.py
+++ b/artiq/applets/plot_xy.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3.5
 
 import numpy as np
+import PyQt5  # make sure pyqtgraph imports Qt5
 import pyqtgraph
 
 from artiq.applets.simple import SimpleApplet
diff --git a/artiq/applets/plot_xy_hist.py b/artiq/applets/plot_xy_hist.py
index 2a97a324c..0bf8987f3 100755
--- a/artiq/applets/plot_xy_hist.py
+++ b/artiq/applets/plot_xy_hist.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3.5
 
 import numpy as np
-from quamash import QtWidgets
+from PyQt5 import QtWidgets
 import pyqtgraph
 
 from artiq.applets.simple import SimpleApplet