diff --git a/runtime/src/jycessing/Runner.java b/runtime/src/jycessing/Runner.java
index 08016fe1..67274515 100644
--- a/runtime/src/jycessing/Runner.java
+++ b/runtime/src/jycessing/Runner.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.TreeSet;
 
 import org.python.core.Py;
 import org.python.core.PyList;
@@ -295,15 +296,12 @@ public static synchronized void runSketchBlocking(
 
     final StringBuilder pythonPath = new StringBuilder();
 
-    final List<File> libDirs = sketch.getLibraryDirectories();
-
     // The code may be located in a temp dir, if the sketch is unsaved.
     final String actualCodeLocation = sketch.getMainFile().getParentFile().getAbsolutePath();
     pythonPath.append(File.pathSeparator).append(actualCodeLocation);
 
     final String sketchDirPath = sketch.getHomeDirectory().getAbsolutePath();
     pythonPath.append(File.pathSeparator).append(sketchDirPath);
-
     props.setProperty("python.path", pythonPath.toString());
     props.setProperty("python.main", sketch.getMainFile().getAbsolutePath());
     props.setProperty("python.main.root", sketchDirPath);
@@ -326,15 +324,16 @@ public static synchronized void runSketchBlocking(
 
       // Add all of the sketch's requested sys.path entries, and add all jar
       // files found there, recursively.
-      final Set<String> userLibs = new HashSet<>();
+      final Set<String> userLibs = new TreeSet<>();
       for (final File entry : sketch.getPathEntries()) {
-        sys.path.append(Py.newString(entry.getAbsolutePath()));
+        userLibs.add(entry.getAbsolutePath());
         searchForExtraStuff(entry, userLibs);
       }
 
       // Add the add_library function to the sketch namespace.
+      final List<File> libDirs = sketch.getLibraryDirectories();
       if (libDirs != null) {
-        new LibraryImporter(sketch.getLibraryDirectories(), interp);
+        new LibraryImporter(libDirs, interp);
 
         if (sketch.getLibraryPolicy() == LibraryPolicy.PROMISCUOUS) {
           log("Promiscusouly adding all libraries in " + libDirs);
@@ -345,7 +344,7 @@ public static synchronized void runSketchBlocking(
             searchForExtraStuff(dir, libs);
           }
           for (final String lib : libs) {
-            sys.path.insert(0, Py.newString(lib));
+            userLibs.add(lib);
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/PythonMode.java b/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/PythonMode.java
index 5ce8e4d2..c994983a 100644
--- a/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/PythonMode.java
+++ b/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/PythonMode.java
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ public class PythonMode extends Mode {
   public static final boolean SKETCH_RUNNER_FIRST =
       Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getenv("SKETCH_RUNNER_FIRST"));
 
+  public static final String SITE_PACKAGES = "site-packages";
+
   /**
    * Python auto-formatting is handled by a server. {@link FormatServer} handles the lifecycle of,
    * and communication with, that server.
@@ -56,6 +58,20 @@ public PythonMode(final Base base, final File folder) {
      * and not on any API. May break in the future.
      */
     librariesFolder = Platform.getContentFile("modes/java/libraries");
+    final File pythonLibs = getSitePackages();
+    if (pythonLibs.exists()) {
+      if (!pythonLibs.isDirectory()) {
+        System.err.println(pythonLibs + " exists but is not directory");
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (!pythonLibs.mkdirs()) {
+        System.err.println("cannot create " + pythonLibs);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static File getSitePackages() {
+    return new File(Base.getSketchbookLibrariesFolder(), SITE_PACKAGES);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -76,7 +92,7 @@ public Editor createEditor(final Base base, final String path, final EditorState
 
     try {
       return new PyEditor(base, path, state, this);
-    } catch (EditorException e) {
+    } catch (final EditorException e) {
       Messages.showError("Editor Exception", "Issue Creating Editor", e);
       return null;
     }
diff --git a/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/run/PdeSketch.java b/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/run/PdeSketch.java
index 507078d0..92bce2a1 100644
--- a/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/run/PdeSketch.java
+++ b/runtime/src/jycessing/mode/run/PdeSketch.java
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import jycessing.DisplayType;
 import jycessing.RunnableSketch;
 import jycessing.Runner.LibraryPolicy;
+import jycessing.mode.PythonMode;
 import processing.app.Base;
 import processing.app.Platform;
 import processing.app.Sketch;
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@
 public class PdeSketch implements RunnableSketch, Serializable {
 
   private final List<File> libraryDirs;
+  private final List<File> pythonLibraryDirs;
   private final File mainFile;
   private final String mainCode;
   private final File sketchHome;
@@ -60,6 +63,8 @@ public PdeSketch(
       codeFileNames[i] = sketch.getCode(i).getFile().getName();
     }
     this.codeFileNames = codeFileNames;
+    this.pythonLibraryDirs =
+        Arrays.asList(PythonMode.getSitePackages().getAbsoluteFile());
   }
 
   public static enum LocationType {
@@ -132,6 +137,7 @@ public List<File> getPathEntries() {
     if (code.exists()) {
       entries.add(code);
     }
+    entries.addAll(pythonLibraryDirs);
     return entries;
   }
 }