diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 63b66e2..0c7eb0e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ install_requires = ['PyYAML', 'wrapt', 'six>=1.5']
 
 
 extras_require = {
-    ':python_version in "2.4, 2.5, 2.6"':
-        ['contextlib2', 'backport_collections', 'mock'],
-    ':python_version in "2.7, 3.1, 3.2"': ['contextlib2', 'mock'],
+    ':python_version in "2.7"': ['contextlib2', 'mock'],
     ':python_version in "3.4, 3.5, 3.6"': ['yarl'],
 }
 
diff --git a/vcr/cassette.py b/vcr/cassette.py
index fc3f0fa..c6e3b81 100644
--- a/vcr/cassette.py
+++ b/vcr/cassette.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
+import collections
 import sys
 import inspect
 import logging
 
 import wrapt
 
-from .compat import contextlib, collections
+from .compat import contextlib
 from .errors import UnhandledHTTPRequestError
 from .matchers import requests_match, uri, method
 from .patch import CassettePatcherBuilder
diff --git a/vcr/compat.py b/vcr/compat.py
index e76c68f..6709feb 100644
--- a/vcr/compat.py
+++ b/vcr/compat.py
@@ -11,8 +11,4 @@ else:
     if not hasattr(contextlib, 'ExitStack'):
         import contextlib2 as contextlib
 
-import collections
-if not hasattr(collections, 'Counter'):
-    import backport_collections as collections
-
-__all__ = ['mock', 'contextlib', 'collections']
+__all__ = ['mock', 'contextlib']
diff --git a/vcr/config.py b/vcr/config.py
index cfc890d..91e031a 100644
--- a/vcr/config.py
+++ b/vcr/config.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import copy
+import collections
 import functools
 import inspect
 import os
@@ -6,7 +7,6 @@ import types
 
 import six
 
-from .compat import collections
 from .cassette import Cassette
 from .serializers import yamlserializer, jsonserializer
 from .persisters.filesystem import FilesystemPersister