diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py b/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
index 9e5711bf6..8bb8305d8 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import numpy
 import socket
 import re
 import linecache
+import os
 from enum import Enum
 from fractions import Fraction
 from collections import namedtuple
@@ -12,7 +13,6 @@ from collections import namedtuple
 from artiq.coredevice import exceptions
 from artiq.coredevice.comm import initialize_connection
 from artiq import __version__ as software_version
-from artiq.coredevice.runtime import source_loader
 from artiq import __artiq_dir__ as artiq_dir
 
 
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@ class CommKernelDummy:
         pass
 
 
+class SourceLoader:
+    def __init__(self, runtime_root):
+        self.runtime_root = runtime_root
+
+    def get_source(self, filename):
+        with open(os.path.join(self.runtime_root, filename)) as f:
+            return f.read()
+
+source_loader = SourceLoader(os.path.join(artiq_dir, "soc", "runtime"))
+
 
 class CoreException:
     """Information about an exception raised or passed through the core device."""
diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/runtime.py b/artiq/coredevice/runtime.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d65e86d8..000000000
--- a/artiq/coredevice/runtime.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-import os
-
-from artiq import __artiq_dir__ as artiq_dir
-
-
-class SourceLoader:
-    def __init__(self, runtime_root):
-        self.runtime_root = runtime_root
-
-    def get_source(self, filename):
-        with open(os.path.join(self.runtime_root, filename)) as f:
-            return f.read()
-
-source_loader = SourceLoader(os.path.join(artiq_dir, "soc", "runtime"))