diff --git a/fipy/solvers/__init__.py b/fipy/solvers/__init__.py
index c18fbf61f6..d21ed4ca0d 100644
--- a/fipy/solvers/__init__.py
+++ b/fipy/solvers/__init__.py
@@ -7,138 +7,108 @@
 from future.utils import text_to_native_str
 __all__ = [text_to_native_str(n) for n in __all__]
 
-solver = _parseSolver()
+_desired_solver = _parseSolver()
 
-def _envSolver(solver):
-    import os
-    if solver is None and 'FIPY_SOLVERS' in os.environ:
-        solver = os.environ['FIPY_SOLVERS'].lower()
-    return solver
-
-solver = _envSolver(solver)
+import os
+if _desired_solver is None and 'FIPY_SOLVERS' in os.environ:
+    _desired_solver = os.environ['FIPY_SOLVERS'].lower()
+    
+exceptions = []
 
 class SerialSolverError(Exception):
     def __init__(self, solver):
         super(SerialSolverError, self).__init__(solver + ' does not run in parallel')
 
-if solver == "pysparse":
-    if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-        raise SerialSolverError('pysparse')
-    from fipy.solvers.pysparse import *
-    __all__.extend(pysparse.__all__)
-    from fipy.matrices.pysparseMatrix import _PysparseMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix =  _PysparseMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "petsc":
-    from fipy.solvers.petsc import *
-    __all__.extend(petsc.__all__)
-
-    from fipy.matrices.petscMatrix import _PETScMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix =  _PETScMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "trilinos":
-    from fipy.solvers.trilinos import *
-    __all__.extend(trilinos.__all__)
-
-    try:
-        from fipy.matrices.pysparseMatrix import _PysparseMeshMatrix
-        _MeshMatrix =  _PysparseMeshMatrix
-    except ImportError:
-        from fipy.matrices.trilinosMatrix import _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-        _MeshMatrix =  _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "scipy":
-    if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-        raise SerialSolverError('scipy')
-    from fipy.solvers.scipy import *
-    __all__.extend(scipy.__all__)
-    from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "pyamg":
-    if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-        raise SerialSolverError('pyamg')
-    from fipy.solvers.pyAMG import *
-    __all__.extend(pyAMG.__all__)
-    from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "pyamgx":
-    if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-        raise SerialSolverError('pyamgx')
-    from fipy.solvers.pyamgx import *
-    __all__.extend(pyamgx.__all__)
-    from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver == "no-pysparse":
-    from fipy.solvers.trilinos import *
-    __all__.extend(trilinos.__all__)
-    from fipy.matrices.trilinosMatrix import _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-    _MeshMatrix =  _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-
-elif solver is None:
-    # If no argument or environment variable, try importing them and seeing
-    # what works
-
-    exceptions = []
+solver = None
 
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["pysparse", None]:
     try:
         if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
             raise SerialSolverError('pysparse')
         from fipy.solvers.pysparse import *
         __all__.extend(pysparse.__all__)
-        solver = "pysparse"
         from fipy.matrices.pysparseMatrix import _PysparseMeshMatrix
         _MeshMatrix =  _PysparseMeshMatrix
+        solver = "pysparse"
+    except Exception as inst:
+        exceptions.append(inst)
 
-    except (ImportError, SerialSolverError) as inst:
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["petsc", None]:
+    try:
+        from fipy.solvers.petsc import *
+        __all__.extend(petsc.__all__)
+
+        from fipy.matrices.petscMatrix import _PETScMeshMatrix
+        _MeshMatrix =  _PETScMeshMatrix
+        solver = "petsc"
+    except Exception as inst:
         exceptions.append(inst)
 
-        try:
-            from fipy.solvers.trilinos import *
-            __all__.extend(trilinos.__all__)
-            solver = "trilinos"
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["trilinos", "no-pysparse", None]:
+    try:
+        from fipy.solvers.trilinos import *
+        __all__.extend(trilinos.__all__)
+
+        if _desired_solver != "no-pysparse":
             try:
                 from fipy.matrices.pysparseMatrix import _PysparseMeshMatrix
                 _MeshMatrix =  _PysparseMeshMatrix
+                solver = "trilinos"
             except ImportError:
-                solver = "no-pysparse"
-                from fipy.matrices.trilinosMatrix import _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-                _MeshMatrix =  _TrilinosMeshMatrix
-        except ImportError as inst:
-            exceptions.append(inst)
+                pass
+                
+        if solver is None:
+            # no-pysparse requested or pysparseMatrix failed to import
+            from fipy.matrices.trilinosMatrix import _TrilinosMeshMatrix
+            _MeshMatrix =  _TrilinosMeshMatrix
+            solver = "no-pysparse"
+    except Exception as inst:
+        exceptions.append(inst)
 
-            try:
-                if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-                    raise SerialSolverError('pyamg')
-                from fipy.solvers.pyAMG import *
-                __all__.extend(pyAMG.__all__)
-                solver = "pyamg"
-                from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
-                _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
-            except (ImportError, SerialSolverError) as inst:
-                exceptions.append(inst)
-
-                try:
-                    if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
-                        raise SerialSolverError('scipy')
-                    from fipy.solvers.scipy import *
-                    __all__.extend(scipy.__all__)
-                    solver = "scipy"
-                    from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
-                    _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
-                except (ImportError, SerialSolverError) as inst:
-                    exceptions.append(inst)
-                    import warnings
-                    warnings.warn("Could not import any solver package. If you are using Trilinos, make sure you have all of the necessary Trilinos packages installed - Epetra, EpetraExt, AztecOO, Amesos, ML, and IFPACK.")
-                    for inst in exceptions:
-                        warnings.warn(inst.__class__.__name__ + ': ' + inst.message)
-
-
-else:
-    raise ImportError('Unknown solver package %s' % solver)
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["scipy", None]:
+    try:
+        if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
+            raise  SerialSolverError('scipy')
+        from fipy.solvers.scipy import *
+        __all__.extend(scipy.__all__)
+        from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        solver = "scipy"
+    except Exception as inst:
+        exceptions.append(inst)
+
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["pyamg", None]:
+    try:
+        if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
+            raise  SerialSolverError('pyamg')
+        from fipy.solvers.pyAMG import *
+        __all__.extend(pyAMG.__all__)
+        from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        solver = "pyamg"
+    except Exception as inst:
+        exceptions.append(inst)
+
+if solver is None and _desired_solver in ["pyamgx", None]:
+    try:
+        if _parallelComm.Nproc > 1:
+            raise  SerialSolverError('pyamgx')
+        from fipy.solvers.pyamgx import *
+        __all__.extend(pyamgx.__all__)
+        from fipy.matrices.scipyMatrix import _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        _MeshMatrix = _ScipyMeshMatrix
+        solver = "pyamgx"
+    except Exception as inst:
+        exceptions.append(inst)
 
+if solver is None:
+    if _desired_solver is None:
+        raise ImportError('Unable to load a solver: %s' % [str(e) for e in exceptions])
+    else:
+        if len(exceptions) > 0:
+            raise ImportError('Unable to load solver %s: %s' % (_desired_solver, [str(e) for e in exceptions]))
+        else:
+            raise ImportError('Unknown solver package %s' % _desired_solver)
 
 from fipy.tests.doctestPlus import register_skipper