diff --git a/aea/__init__.py b/aea/__init__.py
index 79530569bb..0a2d09a20b 100644
--- a/aea/__init__.py
+++ b/aea/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,21 @@
 
 """Contains the AEA package."""
 
+# pylint: disable=wrong-import-position
+
+import sys
+
+
+# Patch to fix https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/issues/3276
+
+_google_upb_message = sys.modules.pop("google._upb._message", None)
+
+from google.protobuf import struct_pb2 as google_dot_protobuf_dot_struct__pb2
+
+
+if _google_upb_message is not None:
+    sys.modules["google._upb._message"] = _google_upb_message
+
 import inspect
 import os
 
diff --git a/aea/cli/__init__.py b/aea/cli/__init__.py
index e91838a11e..5a3d89bec2 100644
--- a/aea/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/aea/cli/__init__.py
@@ -20,19 +20,5 @@
 
 """This module contains the implementation of command-line tool 'aea'."""
 
-# pylint: disable=wrong-import-position
-
-import sys
-
-
-# Patch to fix https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/issues/3276
-
-_google_upb_message = sys.modules.pop("google._upb._message", None)
-
-from google.protobuf import struct_pb2 as google_dot_protobuf_dot_struct__pb2
-
-
-if _google_upb_message is not None:
-    sys.modules["google._upb._message"] = _google_upb_message
 
 from .core import cli