diff --git a/src/rdkit_descriptors.py b/src/rdkit_descriptors.py
index 6d21a0f..5a7a5cb 100644
--- a/src/rdkit_descriptors.py
+++ b/src/rdkit_descriptors.py
@@ -64,12 +64,13 @@
 import NP_Score
 from NP_Score import npscorer
 
-# this is pretty gross, but we need to be able to import utils both when
-# running as part of the node/package and when running the test suite
+# Relative import first: extensions share a Python gateway's sys.path, so a bare
+# `import utils` can bind another extension's top-level utils module. The fallback
+# covers the test suite, which runs these modules without package context.
 try:
-    import utils
-except ImportError: 
     from . import utils
+except ImportError:
+    import utils
 
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
diff --git a/src/standardizer_parent.py b/src/standardizer_parent.py
index 89ac460..cd93f43 100644
--- a/src/standardizer_parent.py
+++ b/src/standardizer_parent.py
@@ -53,12 +53,13 @@
 import knime.extension as knext
 from rdkit import Chem
 
-# this is pretty gross, but we need to be able to import utils both when
-# running as part of the node/package and when running the test suite
+# Relative import first: extensions share a Python gateway's sys.path, so a bare
+# `import utils` can bind another extension's top-level utils module. The fallback
+# covers the test suite, which runs these modules without package context.
 try:
-    import utils
-except ImportError: 
     from . import utils
+except ImportError:
+    import utils
 
 
 import logging
diff --git a/src/stereoisomer_enumeration.py b/src/stereoisomer_enumeration.py
index 016b3b9..0729e44 100644
--- a/src/stereoisomer_enumeration.py
+++ b/src/stereoisomer_enumeration.py
@@ -56,12 +56,13 @@
 import numpy as np
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-# this is pretty gross, but we need to be able to import utils both when
-# running as part of the node/package and when running the test suite
+# Relative import first: extensions share a Python gateway's sys.path, so a bare
+# `import utils` can bind another extension's top-level utils module. The fallback
+# covers the test suite, which runs these modules without package context.
 try:
-    import utils
-except ImportError: 
     from . import utils
+except ImportError:
+    import utils
 
 @knext.node(
     name="Stereoisomer Enumeration",