diff --git a/IPython/config/loader.py b/IPython/config/loader.py
index cfbd92b..d6212cd 100644
--- a/IPython/config/loader.py
+++ b/IPython/config/loader.py
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ class KeyValueConfigLoader(CommandLineConfigLoader):
         """decode argv if bytes, using stin.encoding, falling back on default enc"""
         uargv = []
         if enc is None:
-            enc = text.getdefaultencoding()
+            enc = py3compat.getdefaultencoding()
         for arg in argv:
             if not isinstance(arg, unicode):
                 # only decode if not already decoded
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ class ArgParseConfigLoader(CommandLineConfigLoader):
     def _parse_args(self, args):
         """self.parser->self.parsed_data"""
         # decode sys.argv to support unicode command-line options
-        enc = text.getdefaultencoding()
+        enc = py3compat.getdefaultencoding()
         uargs = [py3compat.cast_unicode(a, enc) for a in args]
         self.parsed_data, self.extra_args = self.parser.parse_known_args(uargs)
 
diff --git a/IPython/core/macro.py b/IPython/core/macro.py
index 86031eb..d8b878d 100644
--- a/IPython/core/macro.py
+++ b/IPython/core/macro.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class Macro(object):
                 lines.append(line)
         code = "\n".join(lines)
         if isinstance(code, bytes):
-            code = code.decode(enc or sys.getdefaultencoding())
+            code = code.decode(enc or py3compat.getdefaultencoding())
         self.value = code + '\n'
     
     def __str__(self):
diff --git a/IPython/core/magic.py b/IPython/core/magic.py
index b294a0f..4d3d059 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magic.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magic.py
@@ -949,7 +949,7 @@ Currently the magic system has the following functions:\n"""
                 try:
                     vstr = str(var)
                 except UnicodeEncodeError:
-                    vstr = unicode(var).encode(sys.getdefaultencoding(),
+                    vstr = unicode(var).encode(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(),
                                                'backslashreplace')
                 vstr = vstr.replace('\n','\\n')
                 if len(vstr) < 50:
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_compilerop.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_compilerop.py
index f586c33..1ffaaa2 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_compilerop.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_compilerop.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def test_cache():
 def setUp():
     # Check we're in a proper Python 2 environment (some imports, such
     # as GTK, can change the default encoding, which can hide bugs.)
-    nt.assert_equal(sys.getdefaultencoding(), "utf-8" if py3compat.PY3 else "ascii")
+    nt.assert_equal(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(), "utf-8" if py3compat.PY3 else "ascii")
 
 def test_cache_unicode():
     cp = compilerop.CachingCompiler()
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
index b55a8aa..3d499cd 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from IPython.core.history import HistoryManager, extract_hist_ranges
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
 
 def setUp():
-    nt.assert_equal(sys.getdefaultencoding(), "utf-8" if py3compat.PY3 else "ascii")
+    nt.assert_equal(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(), "utf-8" if py3compat.PY3 else "ascii")
 
 def test_history():
     ip = get_ipython()
diff --git a/IPython/external/pyparsing/_pyparsing.py b/IPython/external/pyparsing/_pyparsing.py
index a4f0c3b..0218a99 100644
--- a/IPython/external/pyparsing/_pyparsing.py
+++ b/IPython/external/pyparsing/_pyparsing.py
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ if not _PY3K:
             return unicode(obj)
             # Else encode it... but how? There are many choices... :)
             # Replace unprintables with escape codes?
-            #return unicode(obj).encode(sys.getdefaultencoding(), 'backslashreplace_errors')
+            #return unicode(obj).encode(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(), 'backslashreplace_errors')
             # Replace unprintables with question marks?
-            #return unicode(obj).encode(sys.getdefaultencoding(), 'replace')
+            #return unicode(obj).encode(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(), 'replace')
             # ...
 else:
     _ustr = str
diff --git a/IPython/testing/tools.py b/IPython/testing/tools.py
index a8038b3..ef07f78 100644
--- a/IPython/testing/tools.py
+++ b/IPython/testing/tools.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from IPython.config.loader import Config
 from IPython.utils.process import find_cmd, getoutputerror
-from IPython.utils.text import list_strings, getdefaultencoding
+from IPython.utils.text import list_strings
 from IPython.utils.io import temp_pyfile, Tee
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
 
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ else:
     # so we need a class that can handle both.
     class MyStringIO(StringIO):
         def write(self, s):
-            s = py3compat.cast_unicode(s, encoding=getdefaultencoding())
+            s = py3compat.cast_unicode(s, encoding=py3compat.getdefaultencoding())
             super(MyStringIO, self).write(s)
 
 notprinted_msg = """Did not find {0!r} in printed output (on {1}):
diff --git a/IPython/utils/_process_posix.py b/IPython/utils/_process_posix.py
index 6227f35..d774fda 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/_process_posix.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/_process_posix.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class ProcessHandler(object):
         int : child's exitstatus
         """
         # Get likely encoding for the output.
-        enc = text.getdefaultencoding()
+        enc = py3compat.getdefaultencoding()
         
         # Patterns to match on the output, for pexpect.  We read input and
         # allow either a short timeout or EOF
diff --git a/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py b/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py
index 7ee9b62..31ec63a 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def _find_cmd(cmd):
 
 def _system_body(p):
     """Callback for _system."""
-    enc = text.getdefaultencoding()
+    enc = py3compat.getdefaultencoding()
     for line in read_no_interrupt(p.stdout).splitlines():
         line = line.decode(enc, 'replace')
         print(line, file=sys.stdout)
diff --git a/IPython/utils/io.py b/IPython/utils/io.py
index 199c023..3869635 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/io.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/io.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+import os
 import sys
 import tempfile
 
diff --git a/IPython/utils/jsonutil.py b/IPython/utils/jsonutil.py
index b2332ad..b4bdd95 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/jsonutil.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/jsonutil.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def json_clean(obj):
         return obj
     
     if isinstance(obj, bytes):
-        return obj.decode(text.getdefaultencoding(), 'replace')
+        return obj.decode(py3compat.getdefaultencoding(), 'replace')
     
     if isinstance(obj, container_to_list) or (
         hasattr(obj, '__iter__') and hasattr(obj, next_attr_name)):
diff --git a/IPython/utils/py3compat.py b/IPython/utils/py3compat.py
index 7909e75..936c5df 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/py3compat.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/py3compat.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import functools
 import sys
 import re
 import types
+import locale
 
 orig_open = open
 
@@ -18,12 +19,35 @@ def get_stream_enc(stream, default=None):
     else:
         return stream.encoding
 
+# Less conservative replacement for sys.getdefaultencoding, that will try
+# to match the environment.
+# Defined here as central function, so if we find better choices, we
+# won't need to make changes all over IPython.
+def getdefaultencoding():
+    """Return IPython's guess for the default encoding for bytes as text.
+
+    Asks for stdin.encoding first, to match the calling Terminal, but that
+    is often None for subprocesses.  Fall back on locale.getpreferredencoding()
+    which should be a sensible platform default (that respects LANG environment),
+    and finally to sys.getdefaultencoding() which is the most conservative option,
+    and usually ASCII.
+    """
+    enc = get_stream_enc(sys.stdin)
+    if not enc or enc=='ascii':
+        try:
+            # There are reports of getpreferredencoding raising errors
+            # in some cases, which may well be fixed, but let's be conservative here.
+            enc = locale.getpreferredencoding()
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+    return enc or sys.getdefaultencoding()
+
 def decode(s, encoding=None):
-    encoding = get_stream_enc(sys.stdin, encoding) or sys.getdefaultencoding()
+    encoding = get_stream_enc(sys.stdin, encoding) or getdefaultencoding()
     return s.decode(encoding, "replace")
 
 def encode(u, encoding=None):
-    encoding = get_stream_enc(sys.stdin, encoding) or sys.getdefaultencoding()
+    encoding = get_stream_enc(sys.stdin, encoding) or getdefaultencoding()
     return u.encode(encoding, "replace")
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/utils/text.py b/IPython/utils/text.py
index 74b334d..aa07f39 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/text.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/text.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ Utilities for working with strings and text.
 
 import __main__
 
-import locale
 import os
 import re
 import shutil
@@ -34,29 +33,6 @@ from IPython.utils.data import flatten
 # Code
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# Less conservative replacement for sys.getdefaultencoding, that will try
-# to match the environment.
-# Defined here as central function, so if we find better choices, we
-# won't need to make changes all over IPython.
-def getdefaultencoding():
-    """Return IPython's guess for the default encoding for bytes as text.
-
-    Asks for stdin.encoding first, to match the calling Terminal, but that
-    is often None for subprocesses.  Fall back on locale.getpreferredencoding()
-    which should be a sensible platform default (that respects LANG environment),
-    and finally to sys.getdefaultencoding() which is the most conservative option,
-    and usually ASCII.
-    """
-    enc = py3compat.get_stream_enc(sys.stdin)
-    if not enc or enc=='ascii':
-        try:
-            # There are reports of getpreferredencoding raising errors
-            # in some cases, which may well be fixed, but let's be conservative here.
-            enc = locale.getpreferredencoding()
-        except Exception:
-            pass
-    return enc or sys.getdefaultencoding()
-
 def unquote_ends(istr):
     """Remove a single pair of quotes from the endpoints of a string."""
 
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/iostream.py b/IPython/zmq/iostream.py
index 8579398..6b43225 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/iostream.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/iostream.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from io import StringIO
 
 from session import extract_header, Message
 
-from IPython.utils import io, text
+from IPython.utils import io, text, py3compat
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Globals
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class OutStream(object):
         else:
             # Make sure that we're handling unicode
             if not isinstance(string, unicode):
-                enc = text.getdefaultencoding()
+                enc = py3compat.getdefaultencoding()
                 string = string.decode(enc, 'replace')
             
             self._buffer.write(string)