diff --git a/zerver/lib/push_notifications.py b/zerver/lib/push_notifications.py
index 72aa58a2db..7b071d43a8 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/push_notifications.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/push_notifications.py
@@ -12,14 +12,11 @@ import random
 
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, SupportsInt, Tuple, Type, Union
 
-from apns2.client import APNsClient
-from apns2.payload import Payload as APNsPayload
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import IntegrityError, transaction
 from django.utils.timezone import now as timezone_now
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from gcm import GCM
-from hyper.http20.exceptions import HTTP20Error
 import requests
 import urllib
 import ujson
@@ -55,10 +52,13 @@ def hex_to_b64(data: str) -> bytes:
 # Sending to APNs, for iOS
 #
 
-_apns_client = None  # type: Optional[APNsClient]
+_apns_client = None  # type: Optional[Any]
 _apns_client_initialized = False
 
-def get_apns_client() -> APNsClient:
+def get_apns_client() -> Any:
+    # We lazily do this import as part of optimizing Zulip's base
+    # import time.
+    from apns2.client import APNsClient
     global _apns_client, _apns_client_initialized
     if not _apns_client_initialized:
         # NB if called concurrently, this will make excess connections.
@@ -104,7 +104,15 @@ APNS_MAX_RETRIES = 3
 @statsd_increment("apple_push_notification")
 def send_apple_push_notification(user_id: int, devices: List[DeviceToken],
                                  payload_data: Dict[str, Any], remote: bool=False) -> None:
-    client = get_apns_client()
+    # We lazily do the APNS imports as part of optimizing Zulip's base
+    # import time; since these are only needed in the push
+    # notification queue worker, it's best to only import them in the
+    # code that needs them.
+    from apns2.payload import Payload as APNsPayload
+    from apns2.client import APNsClient
+    from hyper.http20.exceptions import HTTP20Error
+
+    client = get_apns_client()  # type: APNsClient
     if client is None:
         logging.warning("APNs: Dropping a notification because nothing configured.  "
                         "Set PUSH_NOTIFICATION_BOUNCER_URL (or APNS_CERT_FILE).")
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_push_notifications.py b/zerver/tests/test_push_notifications.py
index 81412c105c..25c7bbca9f 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_push_notifications.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_push_notifications.py
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ class TestAPNs(PushNotificationTest):
         import zerver.lib.push_notifications
         zerver.lib.push_notifications._apns_client_initialized = False
         with self.settings(APNS_CERT_FILE='/foo.pem'), \
-                mock.patch('zerver.lib.push_notifications.APNsClient') as mock_client:
+                mock.patch('apns2.client.APNsClient') as mock_client:
             client = get_apns_client()
             self.assertEqual(mock_client.return_value, client)