diff --git a/km3io/__init__.py b/km3io/__init__.py
index 2cb507fe32e62be07ef4aaf275212fe127b61546..52ba6348e74fb7334c04ebe5a1a1b1025869c31a 100644
--- a/km3io/__init__.py
+++ b/km3io/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-import numpy as np
-import awkward as ak
-import awkward1 as ak1
-
 from pkg_resources import get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
 
 version = get_distribution(__name__).version
@@ -9,18 +5,4 @@ version = get_distribution(__name__).version
 from .offline import OfflineReader
 from .online import OnlineReader
 from .gseagen import GSGReader
-
-# to avoid infinite recursion
-old_getitem = ak.ChunkedArray.__getitem__
-
-
-def new_getitem(self, item):
-    """Monkey patch the getitem in awkward.ChunkedArray to apply
-        awkward1.Array masks on awkward.ChunkedArray"""
-    if isinstance(item, (ak1.Array, ak.ChunkedArray)):
-        return ak1.Array(self)[item]
-    else:
-        return old_getitem(self, item)
-
-
-ak.ChunkedArray.__getitem__ = new_getitem
+from . import patches
diff --git a/km3io/patches.py b/km3io/patches.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3ee5b34d961b1ce31f52f20751b6e7de1a602f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/km3io/patches.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import awkward as ak
+import awkward1 as ak1
+
+# to avoid infinite recursion
+old_getitem = ak.ChunkedArray.__getitem__
+
+
+def new_getitem(self, item):
+    """Monkey patch the getitem in awkward.ChunkedArray to apply
+        awkward1.Array masks on awkward.ChunkedArray"""
+    if isinstance(item, (ak1.Array, ak.ChunkedArray)):
+        return ak1.Array(self)[item]
+    else:
+        return old_getitem(self, item)
+
+
+ak.ChunkedArray.__getitem__ = new_getitem
\ No newline at end of file