diff --git a/ext/c_zookeeper.rb b/ext/c_zookeeper.rb
index 39f05aa..80bcd54 100644
--- a/ext/c_zookeeper.rb
+++ b/ext/c_zookeeper.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-require_relative '../lib/zookeeper/logger'
-require_relative '../lib/zookeeper/common'
-require_relative '../lib/zookeeper/constants'
-require_relative '../lib/zookeeper/exceptions' # zookeeper_c depends on exceptions defined in here
-require_relative 'zookeeper_c'
+Zookeeper.require_lib(
+  'zookeeper/logger',
+  'zookeeper/common',
+  'zookeeper/constants',
+  'zookeeper/exceptions' # zookeeper_c depends on exceptions defined in here
+)
+
+Zookeeper.require_root 'ext/zookeeper_c'
 
 # require File.expand_path('../zookeeper_c', __FILE__)
 
diff --git a/ext/zookeeper_base.rb b/ext/zookeeper_base.rb
index 38c9aa2..6ec7d23 100644
--- a/ext/zookeeper_base.rb
+++ b/ext/zookeeper_base.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-require_relative 'c_zookeeper'
 require 'forwardable'
 
+Zookeeper.require_root 'ext/c_zookeeper'
+
 # The low-level wrapper-specific methods for the C lib
 # subclassed by the top-level Zookeeper class
 module Zookeeper
diff --git a/lib/zookeeper.rb b/lib/zookeeper.rb
index 0a15102..7984ab9 100644
--- a/lib/zookeeper.rb
+++ b/lib/zookeeper.rb
@@ -8,29 +8,47 @@
 require 'logging'
 
 module Zookeeper
-  # establishes the namespace
-end
+  ZOOKEEPER_ROOT = File.expand_path('../..', __FILE__)
 
-require File.expand_path('../zookeeper/core_ext', __FILE__)
+  # require a path relative to the lib directory
+  # this is to avoid monkeying explicitly with $LOAD_PATH
+  #
+  # @private
+  def self.require_lib(*relpaths)
+    relpaths.each do |relpath|
+      require File.join(ZOOKEEPER_ROOT, 'lib', relpath)
+    end
+  end
 
-require 'backports' if RUBY_VERSION =~ /\A1\.8\./
+  # require a path that's relative to ZOOKEEPER_ROOT
+  # @private
+  def self.require_root(*relpaths)
+    relpaths.each do |relpath|
+      require File.join(ZOOKEEPER_ROOT, relpath)
+    end
+  end
+end
 
-require_relative 'zookeeper/monitor'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/logger'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/forked'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/latch'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/acls'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/constants'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/exceptions'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/continuation'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/common'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/callbacks'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/stat'
-require_relative 'zookeeper/client_methods'
+Zookeeper.require_lib(
+  'zookeeper/core_ext',
+  'zookeeper/monitor',
+  'zookeeper/logger',
+  'zookeeper/forked',
+  'zookeeper/latch',
+  'zookeeper/acls',
+  'zookeeper/constants',
+  'zookeeper/exceptions',
+  'zookeeper/continuation',
+  'zookeeper/common',
+  'zookeeper/callbacks',
+  'zookeeper/stat',
+  'zookeeper/client_methods'
+)
+
+#require 'backports' if RUBY_VERSION =~ /\A1\.8\./
 
 # ok, now we construct the client
-
-require_relative 'zookeeper/client'
+Zookeeper.require_lib 'zookeeper/client'
 
 module Zookeeper
   include Constants
@@ -90,7 +108,7 @@ class << self
 end
 
 # just for first test, get rid of this soon
-require_relative 'zookeeper/compatibility'
+Zookeeper.require_lib 'zookeeper/compatibility'
 
 if ENV['ZKRB_DEBUG']
   Zookeeper.debug_level = Zookeeper::Constants::ZOO_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
diff --git a/lib/zookeeper/client.rb b/lib/zookeeper/client.rb
index 51cc53d..be7a5ae 100644
--- a/lib/zookeeper/client.rb
+++ b/lib/zookeeper/client.rb
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 # or which class we're subclassing.
 
 if defined?(::JRUBY_VERSION)
-  require_relative('../../java/java_base')
+  Zookeeper.require_root('java/java_base')
 else
-  require_relative('../../ext/zookeeper_base')
+  Zookeeper.require_root('ext/zookeeper_base')
 end
 
 
diff --git a/zookeeper.gemspec b/zookeeper.gemspec
index ba98846..93fe95c 100644
--- a/zookeeper.gemspec
+++ b/zookeeper.gemspec
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ This library uses version #{Zookeeper::DRIVER_VERSION} of zookeeper bindings.
 
   s.homepage    = 'https://github.com/slyphon/zookeeper'
 
-  s.add_runtime_dependency 'backports', '~> 2.5.1'
+  # s.add_runtime_dependency 'backports', '~> 2.5.1'
   s.add_runtime_dependency 'logging',   '~> 1.7.2'
 
   s.files         = `git ls-files`.split("\n")