diff --git a/a/python/console/console.py b/b/python/console/console.py
index c85c107..6406f12 100644
--- a/python/console/console.py
+++ b/python/console/console.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ from PyQt4.QtGui import QDockWidget, QToolBar, QToolButton, QWidget,\
     QSplitter, QTreeWidget, QAction, QFileDialog, QCheckBox, QSizePolicy, QMenu, QGridLayout, QApplication, \
     QDesktopServices
 from PyQt4.QtGui import QVBoxLayout
-from PyQt4 import pyqtconfig
 from qgis.utils import iface
 from console_sci import ShellScintilla
 from console_output import ShellOutputScintilla
@@ -36,8 +35,13 @@ from qgis.gui import QgsFilterLineEdit
 
 import sys
 
-_console = None
+try:
+  from PyQt4.QtCore import QT_VERSION # works if PyQt4 was built with configure-ng.py
+except ImportError:
+  from PyQt4 import pyqtconfig # works if built with configure.py
+  QT_VERSION = pyqtconfig.Configuration().qt_version
 
+_console = None
 
 def show_console():
     """ called from QGIS to open the console """