diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/__init__.py b/artiq/coredevice/__init__.py
index e69de29bb..7f0bf3d38 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/__init__.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from artiq.coredevice import exceptions, dds
+from artiq.coredevice.exceptions import (RTIOUnderflow, RTIOSequenceError,
+                                         RTIOCollisionError)
+from artiq.coredevice.dds import (PHASE_MODE_CONTINUOUS, PHASE_MODE_ABSOLUTE,
+                                  PHASE_MODE_TRACKING)
+
+__all__ = []
+__all__ += ["RTIOUnderflow", "RTIOSequenceError", "RTIOCollisionError"]
+__all__ += ["PHASE_MODE_CONTINUOUS", "PHASE_MODE_ABSOLUTE",
+            "PHASE_MODE_TRACKING"]
diff --git a/artiq/experiment.py b/artiq/experiment.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..30138c6e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/experiment.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from artiq import language, coredevice
+from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.coredevice import *
+
+__all__ = []
+__all__.extend(language.__all__)
+__all__.extend(coredevice.__all__)
diff --git a/artiq/language/__init__.py b/artiq/language/__init__.py
index e3d9df9e0..e5433d3b0 100644
--- a/artiq/language/__init__.py
+++ b/artiq/language/__init__.py
@@ -5,14 +5,9 @@ from artiq.language.environment import *
 from artiq.language.units import *
 from artiq.language.scan import *
 
-from artiq.coredevice.dds import (PHASE_MODE_CONTINUOUS, PHASE_MODE_ABSOLUTE,
-                                  PHASE_MODE_TRACKING)
-
 __all__ = []
 __all__.extend(core.__all__)
 __all__.extend(types.__all__)
 __all__.extend(environment.__all__)
 __all__.extend(units.__all__)
 __all__.extend(scan.__all__)
-__all__ += ["PHASE_MODE_CONTINUOUS", "PHASE_MODE_ABSOLUTE",
-            "PHASE_MODE_TRACKING"]
diff --git a/artiq/language/core.py b/artiq/language/core.py
index a374562a9..10eb3dcef 100644
--- a/artiq/language/core.py
+++ b/artiq/language/core.py
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ import os, linecache, re
 from collections import namedtuple
 from functools import wraps
 
-# for runtime files in backtraces
-from artiq.coredevice.runtime import source_loader
-
 
 __all__ = ["host_int", "int", "host_round", "round",
            "kernel", "portable", "syscall", "host_only",
@@ -390,6 +387,8 @@ class ARTIQException:
         self.traceback = list(traceback)
 
     def __str__(self):
+        # lazy import this
+        from artiq.coredevice.runtime import source_loader
         lines = []
         lines.append("Core Device Traceback (most recent call last):")
         for (filename, line, column, function, address) in self.traceback:
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/analyzer.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/analyzer.py
index fc0650fbe..b607ecc36 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/analyzer.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/analyzer.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.coredevice.analyzer import decode_dump, OutputMessage, InputMessage
 from artiq.test.hardware_testbench import ExperimentCase
 
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/cache.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/cache.py
index 68033b142..a81950e00 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/cache.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/cache.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-from artiq.language import *
-from artiq.coredevice.exceptions import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.test.hardware_testbench import ExperimentCase
 
 
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/embedding.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/embedding.py
index 190ec23b9..5debdb2cf 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/embedding.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/embedding.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.test.hardware_testbench import ExperimentCase
 
 
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/portability.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/portability.py
index 752ded674..c1bce293b 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/portability.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/portability.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from operator import itemgetter
 from fractions import Fraction
 
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.sim import devices as sim_devices
 from artiq.test.hardware_testbench import ExperimentCase
 
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/rtio.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/rtio.py
index 60e059c17..b99a2ecb0 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/rtio.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/rtio.py
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 
 from math import sqrt
 
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.test.hardware_testbench import ExperimentCase
-from artiq.coredevice.exceptions import (RTIOUnderflow, RTIOSequenceError,
-                                         RTIOCollisionError)
 
 
 class RTT(EnvExperiment):
diff --git a/artiq/test/hardware_testbench.py b/artiq/test/hardware_testbench.py
index 65d35d2e8..aa6c9d39e 100644
--- a/artiq/test/hardware_testbench.py
+++ b/artiq/test/hardware_testbench.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import sys
 import unittest
 import logging
 
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.master.databases import DeviceDB, DatasetDB
 from artiq.master.worker_db import DeviceManager, DatasetManager
 from artiq.coredevice.core import CompileError
diff --git a/artiq/test/scheduler.py b/artiq/test/scheduler.py
index 75522ad21..4c0f8fa5e 100644
--- a/artiq/test/scheduler.py
+++ b/artiq/test/scheduler.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sys
 import os
 from time import time, sleep
 
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.master.scheduler import Scheduler
 
 
diff --git a/artiq/test/worker.py b/artiq/test/worker.py
index 8a02907c0..94c7d8897 100644
--- a/artiq/test/worker.py
+++ b/artiq/test/worker.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sys
 import os
 from time import sleep
 
-from artiq.language import *
+from artiq.experiment import *
 from artiq.master.worker import *
 
 
diff --git a/doc/manual/core_language_reference.rst b/doc/manual/core_language_reference.rst
index 66fe50411..8982f9231 100644
--- a/doc/manual/core_language_reference.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/core_language_reference.rst
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Core language reference
 =======================
 
-The most commonly used features from those modules can be imported with ``from artiq.language import *``.
+The most commonly used features from the ARTIQ language modules and from the core device modules are bundled together in ``artiq.experiment`` and can be imported with ``from artiq.experiment import *``.
 
 :mod:`artiq.language.core` module
 ---------------------------------
diff --git a/doc/manual/getting_started_core.rst b/doc/manual/getting_started_core.rst
index 85e7d2e24..aefc29a5b 100644
--- a/doc/manual/getting_started_core.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/getting_started_core.rst
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Connecting to the core device
 
 As a very first step, we will turn on a LED on the core device. Create a file ``led.py`` containing the following: ::
 
-    from artiq.language import *
+    from artiq.experiment import *
 
 
     class LED(EnvExperiment):
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ The point of running code on the core device is the ability to meet demanding re
 
 Create a new file ``rtio.py`` containing the following: ::
 
-    from artiq.language import *
+    from artiq.experiment import *
 
 
     class Tutorial(EnvExperiment):
diff --git a/doc/manual/getting_started_mgmt.rst b/doc/manual/getting_started_mgmt.rst
index 41d5305bf..bf31c0e6f 100644
--- a/doc/manual/getting_started_mgmt.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/getting_started_mgmt.rst
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Then create a ``~/artiq-master/repository`` sub-folder to contain experiments. T
 
 Create a very simple experiment in ``~/artiq-master/repository`` and save it as ``mgmt_tutorial.py``: ::
 
-    from artiq.language import *
+    from artiq.experiment import *
 
 
     class MgmtTutorial(EnvExperiment):