diff --git a/botocore/__init__.py b/botocore/__init__.py
index 3b25e147f9..4f38682336 100644
--- a/botocore/__init__.py
+++ b/botocore/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
 
 import logging
-import os
 import re
 
 __version__ = '1.26.2'
@@ -60,8 +59,6 @@ def emit(self, record):
 # individual case.
 ScalarTypes = ('string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'timestamp', 'float', 'double')
 
-BOTOCORE_ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-
 
 # Used to specify anonymous (unsigned) request signature
 class UNSIGNED:
diff --git a/botocore/loaders.py b/botocore/loaders.py
index 7952d03e88..c50a1b652f 100644
--- a/botocore/loaders.py
+++ b/botocore/loaders.py
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@
 import logging
 import os
 
-from botocore import BOTOCORE_ROOT
+import pkg_resources
+
 from botocore.compat import HAS_GZIP, OrderedDict, json
 from botocore.exceptions import DataNotFoundError, UnknownServiceError
 from botocore.utils import deep_merge
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ class Loader:
 
     FILE_LOADER_CLASS = JSONFileLoader
     # The included models in botocore/data/ that we ship with botocore.
-    BUILTIN_DATA_PATH = os.path.join(BOTOCORE_ROOT, 'data')
+    BUILTIN_DATA_PATH = pkg_resources.resource_filename('botocore', 'data')
     # For convenience we automatically add ~/.aws/models to the data path.
     CUSTOMER_DATA_PATH = os.path.join(
         os.path.expanduser('~'), '.aws', 'models'
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_zip.py b/tests/functional/test_zip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20e0503863
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/test_zip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import os
+import shutil
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+from tests import BaseSessionTest
+
+
+class ZipTest(BaseSessionTest):
+    def test_load_from_zip(self):
+        fd, temp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix='.zip')
+        root, ext = os.path.splitext(temp_path)
+        shutil.make_archive(root, 'zip', '../..')
+        sys.path.insert(0, temp_path)
+        super(ZipTest, self).setUp()
+        self.region = 'us-west-2'
+        self.client = self.session.create_client(
+            's3', self.region)
+        sys.path.remove(temp_path)
+        os.close(fd)
+        os.remove(temp_path)