diff --git a/salt/renderers/yaml_jinja.py b/salt/renderers/yaml_jinja.py
index 9276f0374a..bd3661956c 100644
--- a/salt/renderers/yaml_jinja.py
+++ b/salt/renderers/yaml_jinja.py
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ import warnings
 
 # Import Salt libs
 from salt.utils.jinja import get_template
-
-from salt.renderers.utils import CustomLoader, load
+from salt.utils.yaml import CustomLoader, load
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/salt/renderers/yaml_mako.py b/salt/renderers/yaml_mako.py
index 6076b612cd..7db1ead73d 100644
--- a/salt/renderers/yaml_mako.py
+++ b/salt/renderers/yaml_mako.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import os
 # Import Third Party libs
 from mako.template import Template
 
-from salt.renderers.utils import CustomLoader, load
+from salt.utils.yaml import CustomLoader, load
 
 
 def render(template, env='', sls=''):
diff --git a/salt/renderers/utils.py b/salt/utils/yaml.py
similarity index 97%
rename from salt/renderers/utils.py
rename to salt/utils/yaml.py
index 534187661f..c08248095b 100644
--- a/salt/renderers/utils.py
+++ b/salt/utils/yaml.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
 import warnings
 
 # Import thirt party modules