diff --git a/flask/app.py b/flask/app.py
index 77e4799c..84ef1013 100644
--- a/flask/app.py
+++ b/flask/app.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ from .templating import DispatchingJinjaLoader, Environment, \
     _default_template_ctx_processor
 from .signals import request_started, request_finished, got_request_exception, \
     request_tearing_down, appcontext_tearing_down
-from flask._compat import reraise, string_types, integer_types
+from ._compat import reraise, string_types, integer_types
 
 # a lock used for logger initialization
 _logger_lock = Lock()
diff --git a/flask/config.py b/flask/config.py
index 4d9ac23a..155afa2f 100644
--- a/flask/config.py
+++ b/flask/config.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import os
 import errno
 
 from werkzeug.utils import import_string
-from flask._compat import string_types
+from ._compat import string_types
 
 
 class ConfigAttribute(object):
diff --git a/flask/debughelpers.py b/flask/debughelpers.py
index f3bac185..2f8510f9 100644
--- a/flask/debughelpers.py
+++ b/flask/debughelpers.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     :copyright: (c) 2011 by Armin Ronacher.
     :license: BSD, see LICENSE for more details.
 """
-from flask._compat import implements_to_string
+from ._compat import implements_to_string
 
 
 class UnexpectedUnicodeError(AssertionError, UnicodeError):
diff --git a/flask/exthook.py b/flask/exthook.py
index 89dac47b..d0d814c6 100644
--- a/flask/exthook.py
+++ b/flask/exthook.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 """
 import sys
 import os
-from flask._compat import reraise
+from ._compat import reraise
 
 
 class ExtensionImporter(object):
diff --git a/flask/helpers.py b/flask/helpers.py
index 37d3bb49..49fd0278 100644
--- a/flask/helpers.py
+++ b/flask/helpers.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ from functools import update_wrapper
 
 from werkzeug.datastructures import Headers
 from werkzeug.exceptions import NotFound
-from flask._compat import string_types, text_type
 
 # this was moved in 0.7
 try:
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@ from jinja2 import FileSystemLoader
 from .signals import message_flashed
 from .globals import session, _request_ctx_stack, _app_ctx_stack, \
      current_app, request
+from ._compat import string_types, text_type
 
 
 # sentinel
diff --git a/flask/testing.py b/flask/testing.py
index ef116cf3..4c1f4550 100644
--- a/flask/testing.py
+++ b/flask/testing.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from werkzeug.test import Client, EnvironBuilder
 from flask import _request_ctx_stack
-from flask._compat import urlparse
+from ._compat import urlparse
 
 
 def make_test_environ_builder(app, path='/', base_url=None, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/flask/views.py b/flask/views.py
index 5192c1c1..b3b61b52 100644
--- a/flask/views.py
+++ b/flask/views.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     :license: BSD, see LICENSE for more details.
 """
 from .globals import request
+from ._compat import with_metaclass
 
 
 http_method_funcs = frozenset(['get', 'post', 'head', 'options',
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ class MethodViewType(type):
         return rv
 
 
-class MethodView(View):
+class MethodView(with_metaclass(MethodViewType, View)):
     """Like a regular class-based view but that dispatches requests to
     particular methods.  For instance if you implement a method called
     :meth:`get` it means you will response to ``'GET'`` requests and
@@ -138,8 +139,6 @@ class MethodView(View):
 
         app.add_url_rule('/counter', view_func=CounterAPI.as_view('counter'))
     """
-    __metaclass__ = MethodViewType
-
     def dispatch_request(self, *args, **kwargs):
         meth = getattr(self, request.method.lower(), None)
         # if the request method is HEAD and we don't have a handler for it