diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
index e69de29b..b46e2e23 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Bootstrap charm-helpers, installing its dependencies if necessary using
+# only standard libraries.
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-six'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-six'])
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+
+try:
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-yaml'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-yaml'])
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py b/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
index e69de29b..b46e2e23 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Bootstrap charm-helpers, installing its dependencies if necessary using
+# only standard libraries.
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-six'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-six'])
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+
+try:
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-yaml'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-yaml'])
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa