diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/baseparser.py b/src/pip/_internal/baseparser.py
index f2f205f8a05..269190b590e 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/baseparser.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/baseparser.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 
 from pip._vendor.six import string_types
 
-from pip._internal.compat import get_terminal_size
 from pip._internal.configuration import Configuration, ConfigurationError
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import get_terminal_size
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cache.py b/src/pip/_internal/cache.py
index 91d54b1b023..1768b285587 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cache.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cache.py
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
 from pip._vendor.packaging.utils import canonicalize_name
 
 from pip._internal import index
-from pip._internal.compat import expanduser
 from pip._internal.download import path_to_url
 from pip._internal.models.link import Link
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import expanduser
 from pip._internal.utils.temp_dir import TempDirectory
 from pip._internal.wheel import InvalidWheelFilename, Wheel
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
index 0d3d4ae2404..f06a4c87881 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 from pip._internal import index
 from pip._internal.basecommand import Command
 from pip._internal.cache import WheelCache
-from pip._internal.compat import stdlib_pkgs
 from pip._internal.operations.freeze import freeze
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import stdlib_pkgs
 
 DEV_PKGS = {'pip', 'setuptools', 'distribute', 'wheel'}
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/search.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/search.py
index a47a9a7de26..75c95c1e39c 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/search.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/search.py
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@
 from pip._vendor.six.moves import xmlrpc_client  # type: ignore
 
 from pip._internal.basecommand import SUCCESS, Command
-from pip._internal.compat import get_terminal_size
 from pip._internal.download import PipXmlrpcTransport
 from pip._internal.exceptions import CommandError
 from pip._internal.models.index import PyPI
 from pip._internal.status_codes import NO_MATCHES_FOUND
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import get_terminal_size
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import indent_log
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/index.py b/src/pip/_internal/index.py
index 5f4899e018f..da6d5d868ac 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/index.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/index.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 from pip._vendor.six.moves.urllib import parse as urllib_parse
 from pip._vendor.six.moves.urllib import request as urllib_request
 
-from pip._internal.compat import ipaddress
 from pip._internal.download import HAS_TLS, is_url, path_to_url, url_to_path
 from pip._internal.exceptions import (
     BestVersionAlreadyInstalled, DistributionNotFound, InvalidWheelFilename,
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@
 from pip._internal.models.index import PyPI
 from pip._internal.models.link import Link
 from pip._internal.pep425tags import get_supported
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import ipaddress
 from pip._internal.utils.deprecation import deprecated
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import indent_log
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import (
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/locations.py b/src/pip/_internal/locations.py
index 4a7b61e0c33..183aaa39299 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/locations.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/locations.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 from distutils import sysconfig as distutils_sysconfig
 from distutils.command.install import SCHEME_KEYS  # type: ignore
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS, expanduser
 from pip._internal.utils import appdirs
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS, expanduser
 
 # Application Directories
 USER_CACHE_DIR = appdirs.user_cache_dir("pip")
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py b/src/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py
index 7740c284340..165e76e0538 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from pip._vendor import pkg_resources, requests
 
 from pip._internal.build_env import BuildEnvironment
-from pip._internal.compat import expanduser
 from pip._internal.download import (
     is_dir_url, is_file_url, is_vcs_url, unpack_url, url_to_path,
 )
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@
     DirectoryUrlHashUnsupported, HashUnpinned, InstallationError,
     PreviousBuildDirError, VcsHashUnsupported,
 )
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import expanduser
 from pip._internal.utils.hashes import MissingHashes
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import indent_log
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import display_path, normalize_path
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/req/req_install.py b/src/pip/_internal/req/req_install.py
index e90daf1595c..7f9ff4e0fc5 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/req/req_install.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/req/req_install.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 from pip._internal import wheel
 from pip._internal.build_env import NoOpBuildEnvironment
-from pip._internal.compat import native_str
 from pip._internal.download import (
     is_archive_file, is_url, path_to_url, url_to_path,
 )
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@
 from pip._internal.models.index import PyPI, TestPyPI
 from pip._internal.models.link import Link
 from pip._internal.req.req_uninstall import UninstallPathSet
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import native_str
 from pip._internal.utils.hashes import Hashes
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import indent_log
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import (
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/req/req_uninstall.py b/src/pip/_internal/req/req_uninstall.py
index 32ac6b2f7d2..a7d82301686 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/req/req_uninstall.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/req/req_uninstall.py
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
 
 from pip._vendor import pkg_resources
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS, cache_from_source, uses_pycache
 from pip._internal.exceptions import UninstallationError
 from pip._internal.locations import bin_py, bin_user
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS, cache_from_source, uses_pycache
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import indent_log
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import (
     FakeFile, ask, dist_in_usersite, dist_is_local, egg_link_path, is_local,
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/appdirs.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/appdirs.py
index 28c5d4b3c75..cc96f9841ee 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/appdirs.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/appdirs.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from pip._vendor.six import PY2, text_type
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS, expanduser
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS, expanduser
 
 
 def user_cache_dir(appname):
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/filesystem.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/filesystem.py
index ee455012e16..1e9cebd079a 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/filesystem.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/filesystem.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import os.path
 
-from pip._internal.compat import get_path_uid
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import get_path_uid
 
 
 def check_path_owner(path):
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/logging.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/logging.py
index 66c1d39d7e1..d9b95414482 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/logging.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/logging.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import logging.handlers
 import os
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import ensure_dir
 
 try:
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/misc.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/misc.py
index c172163755b..c6c8a09d09a 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/misc.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/misc.py
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@
 from pip._vendor.six.moves import input
 from pip._vendor.six.moves.urllib import parse as urllib_parse
 
-from pip._internal.compat import (
-    WINDOWS, console_to_str, expanduser, stdlib_pkgs,
-)
 from pip._internal.exceptions import CommandError, InstallationError
 from pip._internal.locations import (
     running_under_virtualenv, site_packages, user_site, virtualenv_no_global,
     write_delete_marker_file,
 )
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import (
+    WINDOWS, console_to_str, expanduser, stdlib_pkgs,
+)
 
 if PY2:
     from io import BytesIO as StringIO
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/outdated.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/outdated.py
index 2b3fa95e336..4c084ab996a 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/outdated.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/outdated.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 from pip._vendor import lockfile, pkg_resources
 from pip._vendor.packaging import version as packaging_version
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.index import PackageFinder
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.utils.filesystem import check_path_owner
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import ensure_dir, get_installed_version
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/utils/ui.py b/src/pip/_internal/utils/ui.py
index 9429aaee496..6bab904ab44 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/utils/ui.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/utils/ui.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from pip._vendor.progress.helpers import HIDE_CURSOR, SHOW_CURSOR, WritelnMixin
 from pip._vendor.progress.spinner import Spinner
 
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import get_indentation
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import format_size
 from pip._internal.utils.typing import MYPY_CHECK_RUNNING
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/vcs/git.py b/src/pip/_internal/vcs/git.py
index 5376caa3214..a3e4a48c2ad 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/vcs/git.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/vcs/git.py
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 from pip._vendor.six.moves.urllib import parse as urllib_parse
 from pip._vendor.six.moves.urllib import request as urllib_request
 
-from pip._internal.compat import samefile
 from pip._internal.exceptions import BadCommand
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import samefile
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import display_path
 from pip._internal.utils.temp_dir import TempDirectory
 from pip._internal.vcs import VersionControl, vcs
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_install_user.py b/tests/functional/test_install_user.py
index 35bfedafa88..09edcb96523 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_install_user.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_install_user.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from pip._internal.compat import cache_from_source, uses_pycache
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import cache_from_source, uses_pycache
 from tests.lib import pyversion
 from tests.lib.local_repos import local_checkout
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cache.py b/tests/unit/test_cache.py
index 0f080b6570b..d75cd2c654f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cache.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cache.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from pip._internal.cache import WheelCache
-from pip._internal.compat import expanduser
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import expanduser
 
 
 class TestWheelCache:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_compat.py b/tests/unit/test_compat.py
index aed5e5919cb..70ee2c36d27 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_compat.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_compat.py
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-import pip._internal.compat
-from pip._internal.compat import (
+import pip._internal.utils.compat as pip_compat
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import (
     console_to_str, expanduser, get_path_uid, native_str,
 )
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def check_warning(msg, *args, **kwargs):
             "Subprocess output does not appear to be encoded as")
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(locale, 'getpreferredencoding', lambda: 'utf-8')
-    monkeypatch.setattr(pip._internal.compat.logger, 'warning', check_warning)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pip_compat.logger, 'warning', check_warning)
     console_to_str(some_bytes)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_wheel.py b/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
index 0fb9075896b..a9be9bfe879 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 from pip._vendor.packaging.requirements import Requirement
 
 from pip._internal import pep425tags, wheel
-from pip._internal.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.exceptions import InvalidWheelFilename, UnsupportedWheel
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import WINDOWS
 from pip._internal.utils.misc import unpack_file
 from tests.lib import DATA_DIR