diff --git a/gunicorn/_compat.py b/gunicorn/_compat.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 2487e7b7..00000000
--- a/gunicorn/_compat.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,65 +0,0 @@
-def _check_if_pyc(fname):
-    """Return True if the extension is .pyc, False if .py
-    and None if otherwise"""
-    from imp import find_module
-    from os.path import realpath, dirname, basename, splitext
-
-    # Normalize the file-path for the find_module()
-    filepath = realpath(fname)
-    dirpath = dirname(filepath)
-    module_name = splitext(basename(filepath))[0]
-
-    # Validate and fetch
-    try:
-        fileobj, fullpath, (_, _, pytype) = find_module(module_name, [dirpath])
-    except ImportError:
-        raise IOError("Cannot find config file. "
-                      "Path maybe incorrect! : {0}".format(filepath))
-    return pytype, fileobj, fullpath
-
-
-def _get_codeobj(pyfile):
-    """ Returns the code object, given a python file """
-    from imp import PY_COMPILED, PY_SOURCE
-
-    result, fileobj, fullpath = _check_if_pyc(pyfile)
-
-    # WARNING:
-    # fp.read() can blowup if the module is extremely large file.
-    # Lookout for overflow errors.
-    try:
-        data = fileobj.read()
-    finally:
-        fileobj.close()
-
-    # This is a .pyc file. Treat accordingly.
-    if result is PY_COMPILED:
-        # .pyc format is as follows:
-        # 0 - 4 bytes: Magic number, which changes with each create of .pyc file.
-        #              First 2 bytes change with each marshal of .pyc file. Last 2 bytes is "\r\n".
-        # 4 - 8 bytes: Datetime value, when the .py was last changed.
-        # 8 - EOF: Marshalled code object data.
-        # So to get code object, just read the 8th byte onwards till EOF, and
-        # UN-marshal it.
-        import marshal
-        code_obj = marshal.loads(data[8:])
-
-    elif result is PY_SOURCE:
-        # This is a .py file.
-        code_obj = compile(data, fullpath, 'exec')
-
-    else:
-        # Unsupported extension
-        raise Exception("Input file is unknown format: {0}".format(fullpath))
-
-    # Return code object
-    return code_obj
-
-
-def execfile_(fname, *args):
-    if fname.endswith(".pyc"):
-        code = _get_codeobj(fname)
-    else:
-        with open(fname, 'rb') as file:
-            code = compile(file.read(), fname, 'exec')
-    return exec(code, *args)
diff --git a/gunicorn/app/base.py b/gunicorn/app/base.py
index 0276b009..a9e18859 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/base.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/base.py
@@ -2,16 +2,18 @@
 #
 # This file is part of gunicorn released under the MIT license.
 # See the NOTICE for more information.
+import importlib.machinery
 import os
 import sys
 import traceback
+import types
 
-from gunicorn._compat import execfile_
 from gunicorn import util
 from gunicorn.arbiter import Arbiter
 from gunicorn.config import Config, get_default_config_file
 from gunicorn import debug
 
+
 class BaseApplication(object):
     """
     An application interface for configuring and loading
@@ -93,22 +95,18 @@ class Application(BaseApplication):
         if not os.path.exists(filename):
             raise RuntimeError("%r doesn't exist" % filename)
 
-        cfg = {
-            "__builtins__": __builtins__,
-            "__name__": "__config__",
-            "__file__": filename,
-            "__doc__": None,
-            "__package__": None
-        }
         try:
-            execfile_(filename, cfg, cfg)
+            module_name = '__config__'
+            mod = types.ModuleType(module_name)
+            loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader(module_name, filename)
+            loader.exec_module(mod)
         except Exception:
             print("Failed to read config file: %s" % filename, file=sys.stderr)
             traceback.print_exc()
             sys.stderr.flush()
             sys.exit(1)
 
-        return cfg
+        return vars(mod)
 
     def get_config_from_module_name(self, module_name):
         return vars(util.import_module(module_name))
diff --git a/tests/treq.py b/tests/treq.py
index d82d036f..71466855 100644
--- a/tests/treq.py
+++ b/tests/treq.py
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 # under the MIT license.
 
 import inspect
+import importlib.machinery
 import os
 import random
+import types
 
-from gunicorn._compat import execfile_
 from gunicorn.config import Config
 from gunicorn.http.parser import RequestParser
 from gunicorn.util import split_request_uri
@@ -29,11 +30,13 @@ def uri(data):
 
 
 def load_py(fname):
-    config = globals().copy()
-    config["uri"] = uri
-    config["cfg"] = Config()
-    execfile_(fname, config)
-    return config
+    module_name = '__config__'
+    mod = types.ModuleType(module_name)
+    setattr(mod, 'uri', uri)
+    setattr(mod, 'cfg', Config())
+    loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader(module_name, fname)
+    loader.exec_module(mod)
+    return vars(mod)
 
 
 class request(object):