diff --git a/src/hwylterm/chooser.nim b/src/hwylterm/chooser.nim
index ca8d4ca..e7299af 100644
--- a/src/hwylterm/chooser.nim
+++ b/src/hwylterm/chooser.nim
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@
   ```
 ]##
 
-
 import std/[enumerate, os, strutils, sequtils, sets, terminal]
-import ./private/tryImport
-tryImport(illwill, "hwylterm/choose requires illwill >= 0.4.1")
+
+template tryImport*(x, body) =
+  when not (compiles do: import x): body else: import x
+tryImport illwill:
+  {.fatal: "hwylterm/choose requires illwill >= 0.4.1".}
+
 
 proc exitProc() {.noconv.} =
   illwillDeInit()
diff --git a/src/hwylterm/cli.nim b/src/hwylterm/cli.nim
index 8cfae5d..3ec86cc 100644
--- a/src/hwylterm/cli.nim
+++ b/src/hwylterm/cli.nim
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@
 
 import std/[tables]
 import ./bbansi
-import ./private/tryImport
-tryImport(cligen, "hwylterm/cli requires cligen>= 1.7.5")
+
+template tryImport*(x, body) =
+  when not (compiles do: import x): body else: import x
+tryImport cligen:
+  {.fatal: "hwylterm/cli requires cligen>=1.7.5".}
 
 
 type
diff --git a/src/hwylterm/private/tryImport.nim b/src/hwylterm/private/tryImport.nim
deleted file mode 100644
index f8e73c7..0000000
--- a/src/hwylterm/private/tryImport.nim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-template tryImport*(x, msg) =
-  const importable = compiles: import x
-  when not importable:
-    {.fatal: msg}
-  else:
-    import x