diff --git a/dask_image/imread/__init__.py b/dask_image/imread/__init__.py
index 3649f147..42cfc262 100644
--- a/dask_image/imread/__init__.py
+++ b/dask_image/imread/__init__.py
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 import pims
 from tifffile import natural_sorted
 
-from . import _utils
-
 
 def imread(fname, nframes=1, *, arraytype="numpy"):
     """
@@ -98,4 +96,9 @@ def _map_read_frame(x, multiple_files, block_info=None, **kwargs):
     else:
         i, j = block_info[None]['array-location'][0]
 
-    return _utils._read_frame(fn=fn, i=slice(i, j), **kwargs)
+    return _read_frame(fn=fn, i=slice(i, j), **kwargs)
+
+
+def _read_frame(fn, i, *, arrayfunc=np.asanyarray):
+    with pims.open(fn) as imgs:
+        return arrayfunc(imgs[i])
diff --git a/dask_image/imread/_utils.py b/dask_image/imread/_utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 840233ae..00000000
--- a/dask_image/imread/_utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-import numpy as np
-import pims
-
-
-def _read_frame(fn, i, *, arrayfunc=np.asanyarray):
-    with pims.open(fn) as imgs:
-        return arrayfunc(imgs[i])