diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/ipminative.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/ipminative.py
index c1196d488d..19c572fa22 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/ipminative.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/ipminative.py
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@ from ironic.common import exception
 from ironic.common import states
 from ironic.conductor import task_manager
 from ironic.drivers import base
+from ironic.openstack.common import importutils
 from ironic.openstack.common import log as logging
-from pyghmi import exceptions as pyghmi_exception
-from pyghmi.ipmi import command as ipmi_command
+
+pyghmi = importutils.try_import('pyghmi')
+if pyghmi:
+    from pyghmi import exceptions as pyghmi_exception
+    from pyghmi.ipmi import command as ipmi_command
 
 opts = [
     cfg.IntOpt('retry_timeout',
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/pxe.py b/ironic/drivers/pxe.py
index 820218707a..5ef45cae5b 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/pxe.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/pxe.py
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ class PXEAndIPMINativeDriver(base.BaseDriver):
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
+        if not importutils.try_import('pyghmi'):
+            raise exception.DriverLoadError(
+                    driver=self.__class__.__name__,
+                    reason=_("Unable to import pyghmi library"))
         self.power = ipminative.NativeIPMIPower()
         self.deploy = pxe.PXEDeploy()
         self.pxe_vendor = pxe.VendorPassthru()
diff --git a/ironic/tests/drivers/test_ipminative.py b/ironic/tests/drivers/test_ipminative.py
index 0ec04a236e..5340a8132e 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/drivers/test_ipminative.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/drivers/test_ipminative.py
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@
 """
 Test class for Native IPMI power driver module.
 """
+
 import mock
 
+from oslo.config import cfg
+
 from ironic.common import driver_factory
 from ironic.common import exception
 from ironic.common import states
@@ -32,7 +35,6 @@ from ironic.tests.conductor import utils as mgr_utils
 from ironic.tests.db import base as db_base
 from ironic.tests.db import utils as db_utils
 from ironic.tests.objects import utils as obj_utils
-from oslo.config import cfg
 
 CONF = cfg.CONF
 
diff --git a/ironic/tests/drivers/third_party_driver_mocks.py b/ironic/tests/drivers/third_party_driver_mocks.py
index 8cf86e6309..09f4f14953 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/drivers/third_party_driver_mocks.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/drivers/third_party_driver_mocks.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ respective external libraries' actually being present.
 Any external library required by a third-party driver should be mocked here.
 Current list of mocked libraries:
     seamicroclient
+    ipminative
 """
 
 import sys
@@ -49,8 +50,27 @@ if not seamicroclient:
 if 'ironic.drivers.modules.seamicro' in sys.modules:
     reload(sys.modules['ironic.drivers.modules.seamicro'])
 
-
 # IPMITool driver checks the system for presense of 'ipmitool' binary during
 # __init__. We bypass that check in order to run the unit tests, which do not
 # depend on 'ipmitool' being on the system.
 ipmitool.TIMING_SUPPORT = False
+
+pyghmi = importutils.try_import("pyghmi")
+if not pyghmi:
+    p = mock.Mock()
+    p.exceptions = mock.Mock()
+    p.exceptions.IpmiException = Exception
+    p.ipmi = mock.Mock()
+    p.ipmi.command = mock.Mock()
+    p.ipmi.command.Command = mock.Mock()
+    sys.modules['pyghmi'] = p
+    sys.modules['pyghmi.exceptions'] = p.exceptions
+    sys.modules['pyghmi.ipmi'] = p.ipmi
+    sys.modules['pyghmi.ipmi.command'] = p.ipmi.command
+    # FIXME(deva): the next line is a hack, because several unit tests
+    #              actually depend on this particular string being present
+    #              in pyghmi.ipmi.command.boot_devices
+    p.ipmi.command.boot_devices = {'pxe': 4}
+
+if 'ironic.drivers.modules.ipminative' in sys.modules:
+    reload(sys.modules['ironic.drivers.modules.ipminative'])
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 92f94597c0..3f680c1b49 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -27,5 +27,4 @@ six>=1.7.0
 jsonpatch>=1.1
 WSME>=0.6
 Jinja2
-pyghmi>=0.6.11
 oslo.messaging>=1.3.0