diff --git a/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py b/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
index e020fdd21..8999b2672 100644
--- a/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 # Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
+import json
+
 try:
     from urllib.parse import urlparse # Py 3
 except ImportError:
@@ -16,8 +18,6 @@ import logging
 from tornado import web
 from tornado import websocket
 
-from zmq.utils import jsonapi
-
 from IPython.kernel.zmq.session import Session
 from IPython.utils.jsonutil import date_default
 from IPython.utils.py3compat import PY3, cast_unicode
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class ZMQStreamHandler(websocket.WebSocketHandler):
         except KeyError:
             pass
         msg.pop('buffers')
-        return jsonapi.dumps(msg, default=date_default)
+        return json.dumps(msg, default=date_default)
 
     def _on_zmq_reply(self, msg_list):
         # Sometimes this gets triggered when the on_close method is scheduled in the
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/clusters/handlers.py b/IPython/html/services/clusters/handlers.py
index 64c94b50d..a6d6312dd 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/clusters/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/clusters/handlers.py
@@ -1,25 +1,12 @@
-"""Tornado handlers for cluster web service.
+"""Tornado handlers for cluster web service."""
 
-Authors:
+# Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
+# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
-* Brian Granger
-"""
-
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Copyright (C) 2011  The IPython Development Team
-#
-#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
-#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Imports
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+import json
 
 from tornado import web
 
-from zmq.utils import jsonapi
-
 from ...base.handlers import IPythonHandler
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -31,14 +18,14 @@ class MainClusterHandler(IPythonHandler):
 
     @web.authenticated
     def get(self):
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(self.cluster_manager.list_profiles()))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(self.cluster_manager.list_profiles()))
 
 
 class ClusterProfileHandler(IPythonHandler):
 
     @web.authenticated
     def get(self, profile):
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(self.cluster_manager.profile_info(profile)))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(self.cluster_manager.profile_info(profile)))
 
 
 class ClusterActionHandler(IPythonHandler):
@@ -54,7 +41,7 @@ class ClusterActionHandler(IPythonHandler):
                 data = cm.start_cluster(profile, int(n))
         if action == 'stop':
             data = cm.stop_cluster(profile)
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(data))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(data))
 
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py b/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
index a4361c9fb..58c23558c 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@
 # Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
+import json
 import logging
 from tornado import web
 
-from zmq.utils import jsonapi
-
 from IPython.utils.jsonutil import date_default
 from IPython.utils.py3compat import string_types
 from IPython.html.utils import url_path_join, url_escape
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ class MainKernelHandler(IPythonHandler):
     @json_errors
     def get(self):
         km = self.kernel_manager
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(km.list_kernels()))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(km.list_kernels()))
 
     @web.authenticated
     @json_errors
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ class MainKernelHandler(IPythonHandler):
         location = url_path_join(self.base_url, 'api', 'kernels', kernel_id)
         self.set_header('Location', url_escape(location))
         self.set_status(201)
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(model))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(model))
 
 
 class KernelHandler(IPythonHandler):
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ class KernelHandler(IPythonHandler):
         km = self.kernel_manager
         km._check_kernel_id(kernel_id)
         model = km.kernel_model(kernel_id)
-        self.finish(jsonapi.dumps(model))
+        self.finish(json.dumps(model))
 
     @web.authenticated
     @json_errors
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ class KernelActionHandler(IPythonHandler):
             km.restart_kernel(kernel_id)
             model = km.kernel_model(kernel_id)
             self.set_header('Location', '{0}api/kernels/{1}'.format(self.base_url, kernel_id))
-            self.write(jsonapi.dumps(model))
+            self.write(json.dumps(model))
         self.finish()
 
 
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ class ZMQChannelHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
             self.zmq_stream.on_recv(self._on_zmq_reply)
 
     def on_message(self, msg):
-        msg = jsonapi.loads(msg)
+        msg = json.loads(msg)
         self.session.send(self.zmq_stream, msg)
 
     def on_close(self):
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@ class IOPubHandler(ZMQChannelHandler):
         msg = self.session.msg("status",
             {'execution_state': status}
         )
-        self.write_message(jsonapi.dumps(msg, default=date_default))
+        self.write_message(json.dumps(msg, default=date_default))
 
     def on_kernel_restarted(self):
         logging.warn("kernel %s restarted", self.kernel_id)