diff --git a/bootstrapvz/common/minify_json.py b/bootstrapvz/common/minify_json.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a24056b..0000000
--- a/bootstrapvz/common/minify_json.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,112 +0,0 @@
-'''
-Created on 20/01/2011
-
-v0.1 (C) Gerald Storer
-MIT License
-
-Based on JSON.minify.js: 
-https://github.com/getify/JSON.minify
-'''
-
-import re
-
-def json_minify(json,strip_space=True):
-    tokenizer=re.compile('"|(/\*)|(\*/)|(//)|\n|\r')
-    in_string = False
-    in_multiline_comment = False
-    in_singleline_comment = False
-    
-    new_str = []
-    from_index = 0 # from is a keyword in Python
-    
-    for match in re.finditer(tokenizer,json):
-        
-        if not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
-            tmp2 = json[from_index:match.start()]
-            if not in_string and strip_space:
-                tmp2 = re.sub('[ \t\n\r]*','',tmp2) # replace only white space defined in standard
-            new_str.append(tmp2)
-            
-        from_index = match.end()
-        
-        if match.group() == '"' and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
-            escaped = re.search('(\\\\)*$',json[:match.start()])
-            if not in_string or escaped is None or len(escaped.group()) % 2 == 0:
-                # start of string with ", or unescaped " character found to end string
-                in_string = not in_string
-            from_index -= 1 # include " character in next catch
-            
-        elif match.group() == '/*' and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
-            in_multiline_comment = True
-        elif match.group() == '*/' and not in_string and in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
-            in_multiline_comment = False
-        elif match.group() == '//' and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
-            in_singleline_comment = True
-        elif (match.group() == '\n' or match.group() == '\r') and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and in_singleline_comment:
-            in_singleline_comment = False
-        elif not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment and (  
-             match.group() not in ['\n','\r',' ','\t'] or not strip_space):
-                new_str.append(match.group()) 
-    
-    new_str.append(json[from_index:])
-    return ''.join(new_str)
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    import json # requires Python 2.6+ to run tests
-    
-    def test_json(s):
-        return json.loads(json_minify(s))
-    
-    test1 = '''// this is a JSON file with comments
-{
-    "foo": "bar",    // this is cool
-    "bar": [
-        "baz", "bum", "zam"
-    ],
-/* the rest of this document is just fluff
-   in case you are interested. */
-    "something": 10,
-    "else": 20
-}
-
-/* NOTE: You can easily strip the whitespace and comments 
-   from such a file with the JSON.minify() project hosted 
-   here on github at http://github.com/getify/JSON.minify 
-*/
-'''
-
-    test1_res = '''{"foo":"bar","bar":["baz","bum","zam"],"something":10,"else":20}'''
-    
-    test2 = '''
-{"/*":"*/","//":"",/*"//"*/"/*/"://
-"//"}
-
-'''
-    test2_res = '''{"/*":"*/","//":"","/*/":"//"}'''
-    
-    test3 = r'''/*
-this is a 
-multi line comment */{
-
-"foo"
-:
-    "bar/*"// something
-    ,    "b\"az":/*
-something else */"blah"
-
-}
-'''
-    test3_res = r'''{"foo":"bar/*","b\"az":"blah"}'''
-    
-    test4 = r'''{"foo": "ba\"r//", "bar\\": "b\\\"a/*z", 
-    "baz\\\\": /* yay */ "fo\\\\\"*/o" 
-}
-'''
-    test4_res = r'''{"foo":"ba\"r//","bar\\":"b\\\"a/*z","baz\\\\":"fo\\\\\"*/o"}'''
-    
-    assert test_json(test1) == json.loads(test1_res),'Failed test 1'
-    assert test_json(test2) == json.loads(test2_res),'Failed test 2'
-    assert test_json(test3) == json.loads(test3_res),'Failed test 3'
-    assert test_json(test4) == json.loads(test4_res),'Failed test 4'
-    if __debug__: # Don't print passed message if the asserts didn't run
-        print 'Passed all tests'
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/common/tools.py b/bootstrapvz/common/tools.py
index 11ea050..a80c8c6 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/common/tools.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/common/tools.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def inline_replace(file_path, pattern, subst):
 
 def load_json(path):
     import json
-    from minify_json import json_minify
+    from json_minify import json_minify
     with open(path) as stream:
         return json.loads(json_minify(stream.read(), False))
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5c3e05f..7095a61 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ setup(name='bootstrap-vz',
                         'pyrfc3339 >= 1.0',
                         'requests >= 2.4.3',
                         'pyro4 >= 4.30',
+                        'JSON_minify >= 0.3.0',
                         ],
       license='Apache License, Version 2.0',
       description='Bootstrap Debian images for virtualized environments',
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 3eab371..0e6c514 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ basepython = python2.7
 
 [testenv:flake8]
 deps = flake8
-commands = flake8 bootstrapvz/ tests/ --exclude=minify_json.py {posargs}
+commands = flake8 bootstrapvz/ tests/ {posargs}
 
 [testenv:unit]
 deps =