diff --git a/xbob/learn/activation/include/xbob.learn.activation/api.h b/xbob/learn/activation/include/xbob.learn.activation/api.h
index 21a1b18cbed0103726f14f61513ac0ecc7780f1b..34383078ed135819abae27ba3d73223eff282bd7 100644
--- a/xbob/learn/activation/include/xbob.learn.activation/api.h
+++ b/xbob/learn/activation/include/xbob.learn.activation/api.h
@@ -234,8 +234,6 @@ typedef struct {
 
 # if !defined(NO_IMPORT_ARRAY)
 
-#include <xbob.io/api.h>
-
   /**
    * Returns -1 on error, 0 on success. PyCapsule_Import will set an exception
    * if there's an error.
@@ -290,13 +288,6 @@ typedef struct {
       return -1;
     }
 
-    /* Imports the xbob.blitz C-API */
-    if (import_xbob_io() < 0) {
-      PyErr_Print();
-      PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, "xbob.io failed to import");
-      return -1;
-    }
-
     /* If you get to this point, all is good */
     return 0;
 
diff --git a/xbob/learn/activation/main.cpp b/xbob/learn/activation/main.cpp
index 7dc7afbfba3b7e190c565a2ab0f8ca8e70e2d084..a01fc8f72e59929e1086f25a80b03a1c6b121c66 100644
--- a/xbob/learn/activation/main.cpp
+++ b/xbob/learn/activation/main.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ static PyObject* create_module (void) {
   if (c_api_object) PyModule_AddObject(m, "_C_API", c_api_object);
 
   /* imports xbob.io C-API + dependencies */
+  if (import_xbob_blitz() < 0) return 0;
   if (import_xbob_io() < 0) return 0;
 
   Py_INCREF(m);