diff --git a/pip/backwardcompat.py b/pip/backwardcompat.py
index 7f81c370d31..788023fae90 100644
--- a/pip/backwardcompat.py
+++ b/pip/backwardcompat.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 """Stuff that differs in different Python versions"""
 
 import os
+import imp
 import sys
 import site
 
 __all__ = ['WindowsError']
 
+uses_pycache = hasattr(imp,'cache_from_source')
+
 try:
     WindowsError = WindowsError
 except NameError:
diff --git a/pip/req.py b/pip/req.py
index f413b28e27c..4179f7ad893 100644
--- a/pip/req.py
+++ b/pip/req.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from email.parser import FeedParser
 import os
+import imp
 import pkg_resources
 import re
 import sys
@@ -13,13 +14,13 @@
                             DistributionNotFound)
 from pip.vcs import vcs
 from pip.log import logger
-from pip.util import display_path, rmtree, is_pypy
+from pip.util import display_path, rmtree
 from pip.util import ask, ask_path_exists, backup_dir
 from pip.util import is_installable_dir, is_local, dist_is_local, dist_in_usersite
 from pip.util import renames, normalize_path, egg_link_path, dist_in_site_packages
 from pip.util import make_path_relative
 from pip.util import call_subprocess
-from pip.backwardcompat import (urlparse, urllib,
+from pip.backwardcompat import (urlparse, urllib, uses_pycache,
                                 ConfigParser, string_types, HTTPError,
                                 get_python_version, b)
 from pip.index import Link
@@ -448,6 +449,8 @@ def uninstall(self, auto_confirm=False):
                 for installed_file in dist.get_metadata('installed-files.txt').splitlines():
                     path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(egg_info_path, installed_file))
                     paths_to_remove.add(path)
+            #FIXME: need a test for this elif block
+            #occurs with --single-version-externally-managed/--record outside of pip
             elif dist.has_metadata('top_level.txt'):
                 if dist.has_metadata('namespace_packages.txt'):
                     namespaces = dist.get_metadata('namespace_packages.txt')
@@ -1435,13 +1438,9 @@ def add(self, path):
         else:
             self._refuse.add(path)
 
-        #workaround for pip issue #626 (debian pypy creates __pycache__ folders)
-        if is_pypy:
-            head, tail = os.path.split(path)
-            tail_root, tail_ext = os.path.splitext(tail)
-            if tail_ext == '.py':
-                pycache_path = os.path.join(head, '__pycache__', tail_root + '.pypy-%d%d.pyc' % sys.pypy_version_info[:2])
-                self.add(pycache_path)
+        # __pycache__ files can show up after 'installed-files.txt' is created, due to imports
+        if os.path.splitext(path)[1] == '.py' and uses_pycache:
+            self.add(imp.cache_from_source(path))
 
 
     def add_pth(self, pth_file, entry):
diff --git a/pip/util.py b/pip/util.py
index 8237db78adc..833a7adcc7a 100644
--- a/pip/util.py
+++ b/pip/util.py
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ def is_svn_page(html):
     return (re.search(r'<title>[^<]*Revision \d+:', html)
             and re.search(r'Powered by (?:<a[^>]*?>)?Subversion', html, re.I))
 
-is_pypy = hasattr(sys, 'pypy_version_info')
 
 def file_contents(filename):
     fp = open(filename, 'rb')
diff --git a/tests/packages/parent-0.1.tar.gz b/tests/packages/parent-0.1.tar.gz
index 7d8673cacaa..130e756f491 100644
Binary files a/tests/packages/parent-0.1.tar.gz and b/tests/packages/parent-0.1.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/tests/test_uninstall.py b/tests/test_uninstall.py
index 408847487b4..28339a6152d 100644
--- a/tests/test_uninstall.py
+++ b/tests/test_uninstall.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ def test_simple_uninstall():
     env = reset_env()
     result = run_pip('install', 'INITools==0.2')
     assert join(env.site_packages, 'initools') in result.files_created, sorted(result.files_created.keys())
+    #the import forces the generation of __pycache__ if the version of python supports it
+    env.run('python', '-c', "import initools")
     result2 = run_pip('uninstall', 'INITools', '-y')
     assert_all_changes(result, result2, [env.venv/'build', 'cache'])
 
@@ -36,6 +38,19 @@ def test_uninstall_with_scripts():
     assert_all_changes(result, result2, [env.venv/'build', 'cache'])
 
 
+def test_uninstall_easy_install_after_import():
+    """
+    Uninstall an easy_installed package after it's been imported
+
+    """
+    env = reset_env()
+    result = env.run('easy_install', 'INITools==0.2', expect_stderr=True)
+    #the import forces the generation of __pycache__ if the version of python supports it
+    env.run('python', '-c', "import initools")
+    result2 = run_pip('uninstall', 'INITools', '-y')
+    assert_all_changes(result, result2, [env.venv/'build', 'cache'])
+
+
 def test_uninstall_namespace_package():
     """
     Uninstall a distribution with a namespace package without clobbering
@@ -66,6 +81,8 @@ def test_uninstall_overlapping_package():
     result2 = run_pip('install', child_pkg, expect_error=False)
     assert join(env.site_packages, 'child') in result2.files_created, sorted(result2.files_created.keys())
     assert normpath(join(env.site_packages, 'parent/plugins/child_plugin.py')) in result2.files_created, sorted(result2.files_created.keys())
+    #the import forces the generation of __pycache__ if the version of python supports it
+    env.run('python', '-c', "import parent.plugins.child_plugin, child")
     result3 = run_pip('uninstall', '-y', 'child', expect_error=False)
     assert join(env.site_packages, 'child') in result3.files_deleted, sorted(result3.files_created.keys())
     assert normpath(join(env.site_packages, 'parent/plugins/child_plugin.py')) in result3.files_deleted, sorted(result3.files_deleted.keys())