diff --git a/beat/core/schema/__init__.py b/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
index 0c79fe748aa1366f83491d136a5091faad4bfdcd..ae809022eb9a8b3ee7f337259770e44b9794cbdd 100644
--- a/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
+++ b/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import collections
 import pkg_resources
 
 import six
-import simplejson
+import simplejson as json
 import jsonschema
 
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def maybe_load_json(s):
             with open(s, "rt") as f:
                 return maybe_load_json(f)
         else:
-            return simplejson.loads(s, object_pairs_hook=collections.OrderedDict)
+            return json.loads(s, object_pairs_hook=collections.OrderedDict)
 
     # if it is a 'file-like' object
     if hasattr(s, "read"):
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def load_schema(schema_name, version=1):
 
     with open(fname, "rb") as f:
         data = f.read().decode()
-        schema = simplejson.loads(data)
+        schema = json.loads(data)
 
     basedir = os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(fname))
     resolver = jsonschema.RefResolver("file://" + basedir + "/", schema)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def validate(schema_name, data):
 
        try:
            cleaned_data, error_list = validate('toolchain', '/to/my/file.json')
-       except simplejson.JSONDecodeError as e:
+       except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
            print(e)
 
 
@@ -133,12 +133,12 @@ def validate(schema_name, data):
 
       If ``data`` is a string and represents a valid filesystem path, the
       relevant file will be opened and read as with
-      :py:func:`simplejson.load``. Otherwise, it will be considered to be
+      :py:func:`json.load``. Otherwise, it will be considered to be
       string containing a valid JSON structure that will be loaded as with
-      :py:func:`simplejson.loads`.
+      :py:func:`json.loads`.
 
       Note that if the file is opened and read internally using
-      :py:func:`simplejson.load`, exceptions may be thrown by that subsystem,
+      :py:func:`json.load`, exceptions may be thrown by that subsystem,
       concerning the file structure. Consult the manual page for
       :py:mod:`simplejson` for details.
 
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def validate(schema_name, data):
 
     try:
         data = maybe_load_json(data)
-    except simplejson.JSONDecodeError as e:
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
         return data, ["invalid JSON code: %s" % str(e)]
 
     # handles the schema version