diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
index 329d357..ff96f8c 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ import webbrowser
 
 
 # Third party
-# check for pyzmq 2.1.11 (this is actually redundant)
-from IPython.kernel.zmq import check_for_zmq
+# check for pyzmq 2.1.11
+from IPython.utils.zmqrelated import check_for_zmq
 check_for_zmq('2.1.11', 'IPython.frontend.html.notebook')
 
 import zmq
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/zmq/__init__.py b/IPython/kernel/zmq/__init__.py
index 87927ad..0772c2a 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/zmq/__init__.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/zmq/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Copyright (C) 2010  The IPython Development Team
+#  Copyright (C) 2013  The IPython Development Team
 #
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING.txt, distributed as part of this software.
@@ -9,41 +9,9 @@
 # Verify zmq version dependency >= 2.1.11
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-import warnings
-from IPython.utils.version import check_version
+from IPython.utils.zmqrelated import check_for_zmq
 
-
-def patch_pyzmq():
-    """backport a few patches from newer pyzmq
-    
-    These can be removed as we bump our minimum pyzmq version
-    """
-    
-    import zmq
-    
-    # fallback on stdlib json if jsonlib is selected, because jsonlib breaks things.
-    # jsonlib support is removed from pyzmq >= 2.2.0
-
-    from zmq.utils import jsonapi
-    if jsonapi.jsonmod.__name__ == 'jsonlib':
-        import json
-        jsonapi.jsonmod = json
-
-
-def check_for_zmq(minimum_version, module='IPython.kernel.zmq'):
-    try:
-        import zmq
-    except ImportError:
-        raise ImportError("%s requires pyzmq >= %s"%(module, minimum_version))
-
-    pyzmq_version = zmq.__version__
-    
-    if not check_version(pyzmq_version, minimum_version):
-        raise ImportError("%s requires pyzmq >= %s, but you have %s"%(
-                        module, minimum_version, pyzmq_version))
-
-check_for_zmq('2.1.11')
-patch_pyzmq()
+check_for_zmq('2.1.11', 'IPython.kernel.zmq')
 
 from .session import Session
 
diff --git a/IPython/parallel/__init__.py b/IPython/parallel/__init__.py
index 0692dd7..3f8cbcd 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/__init__.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/__init__.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import warnings
 import zmq
 
 from IPython.config.configurable import MultipleInstanceError
-from IPython.kernel.zmq import check_for_zmq
+from IPython.utils.zmqrelated import check_for_zmq
 
 min_pyzmq = '2.1.11'
 
diff --git a/IPython/utils/zmqrelated.py b/IPython/utils/zmqrelated.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8abbabb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/utils/zmqrelated.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""utilities for checking zmq versions"""
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2013  The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING.txt, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Verify zmq version dependency >= 2.1.11
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import warnings
+from IPython.utils.version import check_version
+
+
+def patch_pyzmq():
+    """backport a few patches from newer pyzmq
+    
+    These can be removed as we bump our minimum pyzmq version
+    """
+    
+    import zmq
+    
+    # fallback on stdlib json if jsonlib is selected, because jsonlib breaks things.
+    # jsonlib support is removed from pyzmq >= 2.2.0
+
+    from zmq.utils import jsonapi
+    if jsonapi.jsonmod.__name__ == 'jsonlib':
+        import json
+        jsonapi.jsonmod = json
+
+
+def check_for_zmq(minimum_version, required_by='Someone'):
+    try:
+        import zmq
+    except ImportError:
+        raise ImportError("%s requires pyzmq >= %s"%(required_by, minimum_version))
+    
+    patch_pyzmq()
+    
+    pyzmq_version = zmq.__version__
+    
+    if not check_version(pyzmq_version, minimum_version):
+        raise ImportError("%s requires pyzmq >= %s, but you have %s"%(
+                        required_by, minimum_version, pyzmq_version))
+