diff --git a/tensorflow/__init__.py b/tensorflow/__init__.py
index 0bca6f8fb80..083634bd796 100644
--- a/tensorflow/__init__.py
+++ b/tensorflow/__init__.py
@@ -24,19 +24,9 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 from tensorflow.python import *
 # pylint: enable=wildcard-import
 
-# Lazily import the `tf.contrib` module. This avoids loading all of the
-# dependencies of `tf.contrib` at `import tensorflow` time.
-class _LazyContribLoader(object):
-
-  def __getattr__(self, item):
-    global contrib
-    # Replace the lazy loader with the imported module itself.
-    import importlib  # pylint: disable=g-import-not-at-top
-    contrib = importlib.import_module('tensorflow.contrib')
-    return getattr(contrib, item)
-
-
-contrib = _LazyContribLoader()
+from tensorflow.python.util.lazy_loader import LazyLoader
+contrib = LazyLoader('contrib', globals(), 'tensorflow.contrib')
+del LazyLoader
 
 del absolute_import
 del division
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/__init__.py b/tensorflow/contrib/__init__.py
index 814bf76eb02..44a5874de26 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/__init__.py
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/__init__.py
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ from tensorflow.contrib import util
 from tensorflow.contrib.ndlstm import python as ndlstm
 from tensorflow.contrib.specs import python as specs
 
+from tensorflow.python.util.lazy_loader import LazyLoader
+ffmpeg = LazyLoader("ffmpeg", globals(),
+                    "tensorflow.contrib.ffmpeg")
+del LazyLoader
+
 del absolute_import
 del division
 del print_function
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/util/lazy_loader.py b/tensorflow/python/util/lazy_loader.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..34308ff9313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tensorflow/python/util/lazy_loader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Copyright 2015 The TensorFlow Authors. All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+# ==============================================================================
+
+"""A LazyLoader class."""
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+from __future__ import division
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import importlib
+import types
+
+
+class LazyLoader(types.ModuleType):
+  """Lazily import a module, mainly to avoid pulling in large dependancies.
+
+  `contrib`, and `ffmpeg` are examples of modules that are large and not always
+  needed, and this allows them to only be loaded when they are used.
+  """
+
+  # The lint error here is incorrect.
+  def __init__(self, local_name, parent_module_globals, name):  # pylint: disable=super-on-old-class
+    self._local_name = local_name
+    self._parent_module_globals = parent_module_globals
+
+    super(LazyLoader, self).__init__(name)
+
+  def _load(self):
+    # Import the target module and insert it into the parent's namespace
+    module = importlib.import_module(self.__name__)
+    self._parent_module_globals[self._local_name] = module
+
+    # Update this object's dict so that if someone keeps a reference to the
+    #   LazyLoader, lookups are efficient (__getattr__ is only called on lookups
+    #   that fail).
+    self.__dict__.update(module.__dict__)
+
+    return module
+
+  def __getattr__(self, item):
+    module = self._load()
+    return getattr(module, item)
+
+  def __dir__(self):
+    module = self._load()
+    return dir(module)
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/api/golden/tensorflow.pbtxt b/tensorflow/tools/api/golden/tensorflow.pbtxt
index e354969c387..92ded90834b 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/api/golden/tensorflow.pbtxt
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/api/golden/tensorflow.pbtxt
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ tf_module {
   }
   member {
     name: "contrib"
-    mtype: "<class \'_LazyContribLoader\'>"
+    mtype: "<class \'tensorflow.python.util.lazy_loader.LazyLoader\'>"
   }
   member {
     name: "double"
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/api/lib/python_object_to_proto_visitor.py b/tensorflow/tools/api/lib/python_object_to_proto_visitor.py
index 64092a6441b..b4ab9f43f51 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/api/lib/python_object_to_proto_visitor.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/api/lib/python_object_to_proto_visitor.py
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ from tensorflow.tools.api.lib import api_objects_pb2
 
 # Following object need to be handled individually.
 _CORNER_CASES = {
-    '': {'contrib': {'name': 'contrib',
-                     'mtype': '<class \'_LazyContribLoader\'>'},
-         'tools': {}},
+    '': {'tools': {}},
     'test.TestCase': {},
     'test.TestCase.failureException': {},
 }
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/api/tests/api_compatibility_test.py b/tensorflow/tools/api/tests/api_compatibility_test.py
index 27865fdc89b..acd119c7305 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/api/tests/api_compatibility_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/api/tests/api_compatibility_test.py
@@ -196,7 +196,11 @@ class ApiCompatibilityTest(test.TestCase):
   def testAPIBackwardsCompatibility(self):
     # Extract all API stuff.
     visitor = python_object_to_proto_visitor.PythonObjectToProtoVisitor()
-    traverse.traverse(tf, public_api.PublicAPIVisitor(visitor))
+
+    public_api_visitor = public_api.PublicAPIVisitor(visitor)
+    public_api_visitor.do_not_descend_map[''].append('contrib')
+    traverse.traverse(tf, public_api_visitor)
+
     proto_dict = visitor.GetProtos()
 
     # Read all golden files.
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/common/public_api.py b/tensorflow/tools/common/public_api.py
index 173b39c538a..44c6f24e567 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/common/public_api.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/common/public_api.py
@@ -36,29 +36,35 @@ class PublicAPIVisitor(object):
     """
     self._visitor = visitor
 
-  # Modules/classes we do not want to descend into if we hit them. Usually,
-  # sytem modules exposed through platforms for compatibility reasons.
-  # Each entry maps a module path to a name to ignore in traversal.
-  _do_not_descend_map = {
-      '': [
-          'core',
-          'examples',
-          'flags',  # Don't add flags
-          'platform',  # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed off.
-          'pywrap_tensorflow',  # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed.
-          'user_ops',  # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed.
-          'python',
-          'tools',
-          'tensorboard',
-      ],
+    # Modules/classes we do not want to descend into if we hit them. Usually,
+    # sytem modules exposed through platforms for compatibility reasons.
+    # Each entry maps a module path to a name to ignore in traversal.
+    self._do_not_descend_map = {
+        '': [
+            'core',
+            'examples',
+            'flags',  # Don't add flags
+            # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed off.
+            'platform',
+            # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed.
+            'pywrap_tensorflow',
+            # TODO(drpng): This can be removed once sealed.
+            'user_ops',
+            'python',
+            'tools',
+            'tensorboard',
+        ],
 
-      # Some implementations have this internal module that we shouldn't expose.
-      'flags': ['cpp_flags'],
+        # Some implementations have this internal module that we shouldn't
+        # expose.
+        'flags': ['cpp_flags'],
 
-      # Everything below here is legitimate.
-      'app': ['flags'],  # It'll stay, but it's not officially part of the API.
-      'test': ['mock'],  # Imported for compatibility between py2/3.
-  }
+        ## Everything below here is legitimate.
+        # It'll stay, but it's not officially part of the API.
+        'app': ['flags'],
+        # Imported for compatibility between py2/3.
+        'test': ['mock'],
+    }
 
   @property
   def do_not_descend_map(self):
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/docs/build_docs_test.py b/tensorflow/tools/docs/build_docs_test.py
index 08c27729a78..d28dd93b9a8 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/docs/build_docs_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/docs/build_docs_test.py
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ class BuildDocsTest(googletest.TestCase):
     doc_generator = generate_lib.DocGenerator()
 
     doc_generator.set_py_modules([('tf', tf), ('tfdbg', tf_debug)])
-    doc_generator.load_contrib()
 
     status = doc_generator.build(Flags())
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate.py b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate.py
index 1a3bbcbf7a2..1217cd331f9 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate.py
@@ -46,6 +46,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
   # tf_debug is not imported with tf, it's a separate module altogether
   doc_generator.set_py_modules([('tf', tf), ('tfdbg', tf_debug)])
-  doc_generator.load_contrib()
 
   sys.exit(doc_generator.build(flags))
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_1_0.py b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_1_0.py
index 97a37252a96..088f8f58dc2 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_1_0.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_1_0.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
   # tf_debug is not imported with tf, it's a separate module altogether
   doc_generator.set_py_modules([('tf', tf), ('tfdbg', tf_debug)])
 
-  doc_generator.load_contrib()
   doc_generator.set_do_not_descend_map({
       '': ['cli', 'lib', 'wrappers'],
       'contrib': [
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib.py b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib.py
index 640ddb6df83..e30cfa80530 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib.py
@@ -439,19 +439,6 @@ class DocGenerator(object):
   def set_py_modules(self, py_modules):
     self._py_modules = py_modules
 
-  def load_contrib(self):
-    """Access something in contrib so tf.contrib is properly loaded."""
-    # Without this, it ends up hidden behind lazy loading.  Requires
-    # that the caller has already called set_py_modules().
-    if self._py_modules is None:
-      raise RuntimeError(
-          'Must call set_py_modules() before running load_contrib().')
-    for name, module in self._py_modules:
-      if name == 'tf':
-        _ = module.contrib.__name__
-        return True
-    return False
-
   def py_module_names(self):
     if self._py_modules is None:
       raise RuntimeError(
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib_test.py b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib_test.py
index c8d4c3fe7e2..49f7ff597ed 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/docs/generate_lib_test.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class GenerateTest(googletest.TestCase):
 
   def test_extraction(self):
     py_modules = [('tf', tf), ('tfdbg', tf_debug)]
-    _ = tf.contrib.__name__  # Trigger loading of tf.contrib
+
     try:
       generate_lib.extract(
           py_modules, generate_lib._get_default_do_not_descend_map())