diff --git a/beat/core/algorithm.py b/beat/core/algorithm.py
index e2285e8e31e267f69a786c964d984f3152d731b7..fe53836c652fdf84d86e86ec54f92a2f467fa6a5 100644
--- a/beat/core/algorithm.py
+++ b/beat/core/algorithm.py
@@ -49,10 +49,9 @@ Forward importing from :py:mod:`beat.backend.python.algorithm`
 
 import os
 import six
-import sys
-import json
 import numpy
 import pkg_resources
+import simplejson as json
 
 from . import dataformat
 from . import library
@@ -69,9 +68,6 @@ def load_algorithm_prototype(prefix):
     prototype_data = pkg_resources.resource_string(
         __name__, "prototypes/algorithm.json"
     )
-    if sys.version_info < (3, 6):
-        prototype_data = prototype_data.decode("utf-8")
-
     algorithm_data = json.loads(prototype_data)
     ref_dataformats = ["integer", "integers"]
     dataformat = None