diff --git a/mongoengine/__init__.py b/mongoengine/__init__.py
index d2e26ebf..fb43a484 100644
--- a/mongoengine/__init__.py
+++ b/mongoengine/__init__.py
@@ -1,23 +1,35 @@
+# Import submodules so that we can expose their __all__
 import connection
-from connection import *
 import document
-from document import *
 import errors
-from errors import *
 import fields
-from fields import *
 import queryset
-from queryset import *
 import signals
+
+# Import everything from each submodule so that it can be accessed via
+# mongoengine, e.g. instead of `from mongoengine.connection import connect`,
+# users can simply use `from mongoengine import connect`, or even
+# `from mongoengine import *` and then `connect('testdb')`.
+from connection import *
+from document import *
+from errors import *
+from fields import *
+from queryset import *
 from signals import *
 
-__all__ = (list(document.__all__) + fields.__all__ + connection.__all__ +
-           list(queryset.__all__) + signals.__all__ + list(errors.__all__))
+
+__all__ = (list(document.__all__) + list(fields.__all__) +
+           list(connection.__all__) + list(queryset.__all__) +
+           list(signals.__all__) + list(errors.__all__))
+
 
 VERSION = (0, 10, 7)
 
 
 def get_version():
+    """Return the VERSION as a string, e.g. for VERSION == (0, 10, 7),
+    return '0.10.7'.
+    """
     if isinstance(VERSION[-1], basestring):
         return '.'.join(map(str, VERSION[:-1])) + VERSION[-1]
     return '.'.join(map(str, VERSION))
diff --git a/mongoengine/base/__init__.py b/mongoengine/base/__init__.py
index e8d4b6ad..e69de29b 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/__init__.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/__init__.py
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-from mongoengine.base.common import *
-from mongoengine.base.datastructures import *
-from mongoengine.base.document import *
-from mongoengine.base.fields import *
-from mongoengine.base.metaclasses import *
-
-# Help with backwards compatibility
-from mongoengine.errors import *
diff --git a/mongoengine/base/common.py b/mongoengine/base/common.py
index 3a966c79..814f755d 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/common.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/common.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 from mongoengine.errors import NotRegistered
 
-__all__ = ('ALLOW_INHERITANCE', 'get_document', '_document_registry')
+__all__ = ('get_document', '_document_registry')
 
-ALLOW_INHERITANCE = False
+ALLOW_INHERITANCE = False  # TODO is this really necessary?
 
 _document_registry = {}
 
 
 def get_document(name):
+    """Get a document class by name."""
     doc = _document_registry.get(name, None)
     if not doc:
         # Possible old style name
diff --git a/mongoengine/base/document.py b/mongoengine/base/document.py
index 965e2572..9d69efd6 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/document.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/document.py
@@ -11,13 +11,9 @@ import pymongo
 
 from mongoengine import signals
 from mongoengine.base.common import ALLOW_INHERITANCE, get_document
-from mongoengine.base.datastructures import (
-    BaseDict,
-    BaseList,
-    EmbeddedDocumentList,
-    SemiStrictDict,
-    StrictDict
-)
+from mongoengine.base.datastructures import (BaseDict, BaseList,
+                                             EmbeddedDocumentList,
+                                             SemiStrictDict, StrictDict)
 from mongoengine.base.fields import ComplexBaseField
 from mongoengine.common import _import_class
 from mongoengine.errors import (FieldDoesNotExist, InvalidDocumentError,
diff --git a/mongoengine/base/fields.py b/mongoengine/base/fields.py
index f6d24877..9b75fff2 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/fields.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/fields.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ from mongoengine.base.datastructures import (
 from mongoengine.common import _import_class
 from mongoengine.errors import ValidationError
 
-__all__ = ("BaseField", "ComplexBaseField",
-           "ObjectIdField", "GeoJsonBaseField")
+__all__ = ('BaseField', 'ComplexBaseField', 'ObjectIdField',
+           'GeoJsonBaseField')
 
 
 UPDATE_OPERATORS = set(['set', 'unset', 'inc', 'dec', 'pop', 'push',
diff --git a/mongoengine/dereference.py b/mongoengine/dereference.py
index c16028d2..11d3dbe6 100644
--- a/mongoengine/dereference.py
+++ b/mongoengine/dereference.py
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 from bson import DBRef, SON
 
-from .base import (
-    BaseDict, BaseList, EmbeddedDocumentList,
-    TopLevelDocumentMetaclass, get_document
-)
-from .connection import get_db
-from .document import Document, EmbeddedDocument
-from .fields import DictField, ListField, MapField, ReferenceField
-from .python_support import txt_type
-from .queryset import QuerySet
+from mongoengine.base.common import get_document
+from mongoengine.base.datastructures import (BaseDict, BaseList,
+                                             EmbeddedDocumentList)
+from mongoengine.base.metaclasses import TopLevelDocumentMetaclass
+from mongoengine.connection import get_db
+from mongoengine.document import Document, EmbeddedDocument
+from mongoengine.fields import DictField, ListField, MapField, ReferenceField
+from mongoengine.python_support import txt_type
+from mongoengine.queryset import QuerySet
 
 
 class DeReference(object):
diff --git a/mongoengine/document.py b/mongoengine/document.py
index 2bfe8c39..3092e003 100644
--- a/mongoengine/document.py
+++ b/mongoengine/document.py
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@ import pymongo
 from pymongo.read_preferences import ReadPreference
 
 from mongoengine import signals
-from mongoengine.base import (
-    ALLOW_INHERITANCE,
-    BaseDict,
-    BaseDocument,
-    BaseList,
-    DocumentMetaclass,
-    EmbeddedDocumentList,
-    TopLevelDocumentMetaclass,
-    get_document
-)
+from mongoengine.base.common import ALLOW_INHERITANCE, get_document
+from mongoengine.base.document import BaseDocument
+from mongoengine.base.datastructures import (BaseDict, BaseList,
+                                             EmbeddedDocumentList)
+from mongoengine.base.metaclasses import (DocumentMetaclass,
+                                          TopLevelDocumentMetaclass)
 from mongoengine.common import _import_class
 from mongoengine.connection import DEFAULT_CONNECTION_NAME, get_db
 from mongoengine.context_managers import switch_collection, switch_db
diff --git a/mongoengine/fields.py b/mongoengine/fields.py
index c4300810..1a9bc497 100644
--- a/mongoengine/fields.py
+++ b/mongoengine/fields.py
@@ -25,13 +25,16 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     Int64 = long
 
-from .base import (BaseDocument, BaseField, ComplexBaseField, GeoJsonBaseField,
-                   ObjectIdField, get_document)
-from .connection import DEFAULT_CONNECTION_NAME, get_db
-from .document import Document, EmbeddedDocument
-from .errors import DoesNotExist, ValidationError
-from .python_support import PY3, StringIO, bin_type, str_types, txt_type
-from .queryset import DO_NOTHING, QuerySet
+from mongoengine.base.common import get_document
+from mongoengine.base.document import BaseDocument
+from mongoengine.base.fields import (BaseField, ComplexBaseField,
+                                     GeoJsonBaseField, ObjectIdField)
+from mongoengine.connection import DEFAULT_CONNECTION_NAME, get_db
+from mongoengine.document import Document, EmbeddedDocument
+from mongoengine.errors import DoesNotExist, ValidationError
+from mongoengine.python_support import (PY3, StringIO, bin_type, str_types,
+                                        txt_type)
+from mongoengine.queryset import DO_NOTHING, QuerySet
 
 try:
     from PIL import Image, ImageOps
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@ except ImportError:
     Image = None
     ImageOps = None
 
-__all__ = [
+__all__ = (
     'StringField', 'URLField', 'EmailField', 'IntField', 'LongField',
     'FloatField', 'DecimalField', 'BooleanField', 'DateTimeField',
     'ComplexDateTimeField', 'EmbeddedDocumentField', 'ObjectIdField',
@@ -50,7 +53,8 @@ __all__ = [
     'FileField', 'ImageGridFsProxy', 'ImproperlyConfigured', 'ImageField',
     'GeoPointField', 'PointField', 'LineStringField', 'PolygonField',
     'SequenceField', 'UUIDField', 'MultiPointField', 'MultiLineStringField',
-    'MultiPolygonField', 'GeoJsonBaseField']
+    'MultiPolygonField', 'GeoJsonBaseField'
+)
 
 RECURSIVE_REFERENCE_CONSTANT = 'self'
 
diff --git a/mongoengine/queryset/__init__.py b/mongoengine/queryset/__init__.py
index c8fa09db..d4fd4e61 100644
--- a/mongoengine/queryset/__init__.py
+++ b/mongoengine/queryset/__init__.py
@@ -1,11 +1,22 @@
 from mongoengine.errors import (DoesNotExist, InvalidQueryError,
                                 MultipleObjectsReturned, NotUniqueError,
                                 OperationError)
-from mongoengine.queryset.field_list import *
-from mongoengine.queryset.manager import *
-from mongoengine.queryset.queryset import *
-from mongoengine.queryset.transform import *
-from mongoengine.queryset.visitor import *
+from mongoengine.queryset.field_list import QueryFieldList
+from mongoengine.queryset.manager import queryset_manager, QuerySetManager
+from mongoengine.queryset.queryset import (QuerySet, QuerySetNoCache,
+                                           DO_NOTHING, NULLIFY, CASCADE,
+                                           DENY, PULL)
+#from mongoengine.queryset.transform import query, update
+from mongoengine.queryset.visitor import Q
+
+
+__all__ = (
+    'QuerySet', 'QuerySetNoCache', 'Q', 'queryset_manager', 'QuerySetManager',
+    'QueryFieldList', 'DO_NOTHING', 'NULLIFY', 'CASCADE', 'DENY', 'PULL',
+
+    # Errors that might be related to a queryset, mostly here for backward
+    # compatibility
+    'DoesNotExist', 'InvalidQueryError', 'MultipleObjectsReturned',
+    'NotUniqueError', 'OperationError',
+)
 
-__all__ = (field_list.__all__ + manager.__all__ + queryset.__all__ +
-           transform.__all__ + visitor.__all__)
diff --git a/mongoengine/signals.py b/mongoengine/signals.py
index 64828448..a892dec0 100644
--- a/mongoengine/signals.py
+++ b/mongoengine/signals.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-
-__all__ = ['pre_init', 'post_init', 'pre_save', 'pre_save_post_validation',
-           'post_save', 'pre_delete', 'post_delete']
+__all__ = ('pre_init', 'post_init', 'pre_save', 'pre_save_post_validation',
+           'post_save', 'pre_delete', 'post_delete')
 
 signals_available = False
 try:
@@ -34,6 +32,7 @@ except ImportError:
             temporarily_connected_to = _fail
         del _fail
 
+
 # the namespace for code signals.  If you are not mongoengine code, do
 # not put signals in here.  Create your own namespace instead.
 _signals = Namespace()
diff --git a/tests/document/instance.py b/tests/document/instance.py
index 6114a024..0ab1caca 100644
--- a/tests/document/instance.py
+++ b/tests/document/instance.py
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-import sys
-sys.path[0:0] = [""]
-
 import bson
 import os
 import pickle
@@ -16,12 +13,12 @@ from tests.fixtures import (PickleEmbedded, PickleTest, PickleSignalsTest,
                             PickleDynamicEmbedded, PickleDynamicTest)
 
 from mongoengine import *
+from mongoengine.base.common import get_document, _document_registry
+from mongoengine.connection import get_db
 from mongoengine.errors import (NotRegistered, InvalidDocumentError,
                                 InvalidQueryError, NotUniqueError,
                                 FieldDoesNotExist, SaveConditionError)
 from mongoengine.queryset import NULLIFY, Q
-from mongoengine.connection import get_db
-from mongoengine.base import get_document
 from mongoengine.context_managers import switch_db, query_counter
 from mongoengine import signals
 
@@ -411,7 +408,6 @@ class InstanceTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Mimic Place and NicePlace definitions being in a different file
         # and the NicePlace model not being imported in at query time.
-        from mongoengine.base import _document_registry
         del(_document_registry['Place.NicePlace'])
 
         def query_without_importing_nice_place():
diff --git a/tests/fields/fields.py b/tests/fields/fields.py
index 0ff95c5a..7ae0faae 100644
--- a/tests/fields/fields.py
+++ b/tests/fields/fields.py
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-import sys
-
 import six
 from nose.plugins.skip import SkipTest
 
-sys.path[0:0] = [""]
-
 import datetime
 import unittest
 import uuid
@@ -29,8 +25,9 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from mongoengine import *
 from mongoengine.connection import get_db
-from mongoengine.base import _document_registry
+from mongoengine.base.common import _document_registry
 from mongoengine.base.datastructures import BaseDict, EmbeddedDocumentList
+from mongoengine.base.fields import BaseField
 from mongoengine.errors import NotRegistered, DoesNotExist
 from mongoengine.python_support import PY3, b, bin_type
 
@@ -3555,8 +3552,6 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
         Ensure that tuples remain tuples when they are
         inside a ComplexBaseField
         """
-        from mongoengine.base import BaseField
-
         class EnumField(BaseField):
 
             def __init__(self, **kwargs):