diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
index 600275368..0943baf7c 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def _build_experiment(dmgr, pdb, rdb, args):
                                  "for ELF kernels")
             return ELFRunner(dmgr, pdb, rdb, file=args.file)
         else:
-            module = file_import(args.file)
+            module = file_import(args.file, prefix="artiq_run_")
         file = args.file
     else:
         module = sys.modules["__main__"]
diff --git a/artiq/tools.py b/artiq/tools.py
index 767e858dd..445f5c9fc 100644
--- a/artiq/tools.py
+++ b/artiq/tools.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def parse_arguments(arguments):
     return d
 
 
-def file_import(filename):
+def file_import(filename, prefix="file_import_"):
     linecache.checkcache(filename)
 
     modname = filename
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def file_import(filename):
     i = modname.find(".")
     if i > 0:
         modname = modname[:i]
-    modname = "file_import_" + modname
+    modname = prefix + modname
 
     path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(filename))
     sys.path.insert(0, path)