diff --git a/hydra/utils.py b/hydra/utils.py
index c982c78760..edc2442fd0 100644
--- a/hydra/utils.py
+++ b/hydra/utils.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 import logging.config
 import warnings
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Type
+from typing import Any, Type, Optional, cast
+from types import ModuleType
 
 from omegaconf import DictConfig, OmegaConf, _utils
 
@@ -12,18 +13,66 @@
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def _safeimport(path: str) -> Optional[ModuleType]:
+    """
+    Import a module; handle errors; return None if the module isn't found.
+    This is a typed simplified version of the `pydoc` function `safeimport`.
+    """
+    import sys
+    from importlib import import_module
+    try:
+        module = import_module(path)
+    except ImportError as e:
+        if e.name == path:
+            return None
+        else:
+            log.error(f"Error importing module: {path}")
+            raise e
+    except Exception as e:
+        log.error(f"Non-ImportError while importing module {path}: {e}")
+        raise ValueError(f"Non-ImportError while importing module {path}: {e}")
+    for part in path.replace(module.__name__, "").split('.'):
+        if not hasattr(module, part):
+            break
+        module = getattr(module, part)
+    return module
+
+
+def _locate(path: str) -> ModuleType:
+    """
+    Locate an object by name or dotted path, importing as necessary.
+    This is similar to the pydoc function `locate`, except that it checks for
+    the module from the end of the path to the beginning.
+    """
+    parts = [part for part in path.split('.') if part]
+    module = None
+    for n in reversed(range(len(parts))):
+        try:
+            module = _safeimport('.'.join(parts[:n]))
+        except:
+            continue
+        if module:
+            break
+    if module:
+        obj = module
+    else:
+        log.error(f"Module not found: {path}")
+        raise ValueError(f"Module not found: {path}")
+    for part in parts[n:]:
+        if not hasattr(obj, part):
+            log.error(f"Error finding attribute ({part}) in class ({obj.__name__}): {path}")
+            raise ValueError(f"Error finding attribute ({part}) in class ({obj.__name__}): {path}")
+        obj = getattr(obj, part)
+    return obj
+
+
 def get_method(path: str) -> type:
     return get_class(path)
 
 
 def get_class(path: str) -> type:
     try:
-        from pydoc import locate
-
-        klass = locate(path)
-        if not klass:
-            log.error(f"Error finding module in class path {path}")
-            raise ValueError(f"Error finding module in class path {path}")
+        klass = cast(type, _locate(path))
         return klass
     except Exception as e:
         log.error(f"Error initializing class {path}")
@@ -32,7 +81,7 @@ def get_class(path: str) -> type:
 
 def get_static_method(full_method_name: str) -> type:
     try:
-        ret: type = get_class(full_method_name)
+        ret = get_class(full_method_name)
         return ret
     except Exception as e:
         log.error(f"Error getting static method {full_method_name} : {e}")
@@ -108,7 +157,7 @@ def _instantiate_class(
     params = config.params if "params" in config else OmegaConf.create()
     assert isinstance(
         params, DictConfig
-    ), f"Input config params are expected to be a mapping, found {type(config.params)}"
+    ), f"Input config params are expected to be a mapping, found {type(config.params).__name__}"
     primitives = {}
     rest = {}
     for k, v in kwargs.items():
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index f996a6ad55..1d4366771f 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -61,9 +61,12 @@ def __eq__(self, other: Any) -> Any:
 
 class Baz(Foo):
     @classmethod
-    def class_method(self, y: int) -> None:
+    def class_method(self, y: int) -> Any:
         return self(y + 1)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def static_method() -> Any:
+        return 43
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(  # type: ignore
     "path,expected_type", [("tests.test_utils.Bar", Bar)]
@@ -125,14 +128,17 @@ def test_get_static_method(path: str, return_value: Any) -> None:
             Bar(10, 200, 200, 40),
         ),
         (
-            {
-                "cls": "tests.test_utils.Baz.class_method",
-                "params": {"y": 10},
-            },
+            {"cls": "tests.test_utils.Baz.class_method", "params": {"y": 10}, },
             None,
             {},
             Baz(11),
         ),
+        (
+            {"cls": "tests.test_utils.Baz.static_method", "params": {}, },
+            None,
+            {},
+            43,
+        ),
         # Check that default value is respected
         (
             {"cls": "tests.test_utils.Bar", "params": {"b": 200, "c": "${params.b}"}},