diff --git a/cps/book_formats.py b/cps/book_formats.py
index fb08caa9..a5448e4d 100644
--- a/cps/book_formats.py
+++ b/cps/book_formats.py
@@ -62,7 +62,11 @@ except ImportError as e:
     logger.warning('cannot import fb2, extracting fb2 metadata will not work: %s', e)
     use_fb2_meta = False
 
-from PIL import Image
+try:
+    from PIL import Image
+    use_PIL = True
+except ImportError:
+    use_PIL = False
 
 
 def process(tmp_file_path, original_file_name, original_file_extension):
@@ -133,47 +137,47 @@ def pdf_preview(tmp_file_path, tmp_dir):
     if use_generic_pdf_cover:
         return None
     else:
-        try:
-            input1 = PdfFileReader(open(tmp_file_path, 'rb'), strict=False)
-            page0 = input1.getPage(0)
-            xObject = page0['/Resources']['/XObject'].getObject()
+        if use_PIL:
+            try:
+                input1 = PdfFileReader(open(tmp_file_path, 'rb'), strict=False)
+                page0 = input1.getPage(0)
+                xObject = page0['/Resources']['/XObject'].getObject()
 
-            for obj in xObject:
-                if xObject[obj]['/Subtype'] == '/Image':
-                    size = (xObject[obj]['/Width'], xObject[obj]['/Height'])
-                    data = xObject[obj]._data # xObject[obj].getData()
-                    if xObject[obj]['/ColorSpace'] == '/DeviceRGB':
-                        mode = "RGB"
-                    else:
-                        mode = "P"
-                    if '/Filter' in xObject[obj]:
-                        if xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/FlateDecode':
+                for obj in xObject:
+                    if xObject[obj]['/Subtype'] == '/Image':
+                        size = (xObject[obj]['/Width'], xObject[obj]['/Height'])
+                        data = xObject[obj]._data # xObject[obj].getData()
+                        if xObject[obj]['/ColorSpace'] == '/DeviceRGB':
+                            mode = "RGB"
+                        else:
+                            mode = "P"
+                        if '/Filter' in xObject[obj]:
+                            if xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/FlateDecode':
+                                img = Image.frombytes(mode, size, data)
+                                cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.png"
+                                img.save(filename=os.path.join(tmp_dir, cover_file_name))
+                                return cover_file_name
+                                # img.save(obj[1:] + ".png")
+                            elif xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/DCTDecode':
+                                cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.jpg"
+                                img = open(cover_file_name, "wb")
+                                img.write(data)
+                                img.close()
+                                return cover_file_name
+                            elif xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/JPXDecode':
+                                cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.jp2"
+                                img = open(cover_file_name, "wb")
+                                img.write(data)
+                                img.close()
+                                return cover_file_name
+                        else:
                             img = Image.frombytes(mode, size, data)
                             cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.png"
                             img.save(filename=os.path.join(tmp_dir, cover_file_name))
                             return cover_file_name
                             # img.save(obj[1:] + ".png")
-                        elif xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/DCTDecode':
-                            cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.jpg"
-                            img = open(cover_file_name, "wb")
-                            img.write(data)
-                            img.close()
-                            return cover_file_name
-                        elif xObject[obj]['/Filter'] == '/JPXDecode':
-                            cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.jp2"
-                            img = open(cover_file_name, "wb")
-                            img.write(data)
-                            img.close()
-                            return cover_file_name
-                    else:
-                        img = Image.frombytes(mode, size, data)
-                        cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.png"
-                        img.save(filename=os.path.join(tmp_dir, cover_file_name))
-                        return cover_file_name
-                        # img.save(obj[1:] + ".png")
-        except Exception as ex:
-            print(ex)
-
+            except Exception as ex:
+                print(ex)
         try:
             cover_file_name = os.path.splitext(tmp_file_path)[0] + ".cover.jpg"
             with Image(filename=tmp_file_path + "[0]", resolution=150) as img:
diff --git a/cps/helper.py b/cps/helper.py
index aa832e42..79cf92af 100644
--- a/cps/helper.py
+++ b/cps/helper.py
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ from flask_babel import gettext as _
 from flask_login import current_user
 from babel.dates import format_datetime
 from datetime import datetime
-from PIL import Image
 import shutil
 import requests
 try:
@@ -52,6 +51,12 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     use_unidecode = False
 
+try:
+    from PIL import Image
+    use_PIL = True
+except ImportError:
+    use_PIL = False
+
 # Global variables
 # updater_thread = None
 global_WorkerThread = worker.WorkerThread()
@@ -481,16 +486,17 @@ def save_cover(img, book_path):
         web.app.logger.error("Only jpg/jpeg/png/webp files are supported as coverfile")
         return False
 
-    # convert to jpg because calibre only supports jpg
-    if content_type in ('image/png', 'image/webp'):
-        if hasattr(img,'stream'):
-            imgc = Image.open(img.stream)
-        else:
-            imgc = Image.open(io.BytesIO(img.content))
-        im = imgc.convert('RGB')
-        tmp_bytesio = io.BytesIO()
-        im.save(tmp_bytesio, format='JPEG')
-        img._content = tmp_bytesio.getvalue()
+    if use_PIL:
+        # convert to jpg because calibre only supports jpg
+        if content_type in ('image/png', 'image/webp'):
+            if hasattr(img,'stream'):
+                imgc = Image.open(img.stream)
+            else:
+                imgc = Image.open(io.BytesIO(img.content))
+            im = imgc.convert('RGB')
+            tmp_bytesio = io.BytesIO()
+            im.save(tmp_bytesio, format='JPEG')
+            img._content = tmp_bytesio.getvalue()
 
     if ub.config.config_use_google_drive:
         tmpDir = gettempdir()