--- a/babel/numbers.py
+++ b/babel/numbers.py
@@ -23,13 +23,9 @@
 # TODO:
 #  Padding and rounding increments in pattern:
 #  - http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/ (Appendix G.6)
+from decimal import Decimal
 import math
 import re
-try:
-    from decimal import Decimal
-    have_decimal = True
-except ImportError:
-    have_decimal = False
 
 from babel.core import default_locale, Locale
 
@@ -326,7 +322,7 @@
 
 def split_number(value):
     """Convert a number into a (intasstring, fractionasstring) tuple"""
-    if have_decimal and isinstance(value, Decimal):
+    if isinstance(value, Decimal):
         text = str(value)
     else:
         text = ('%.9f' % value).rstrip('0')
@@ -366,7 +362,7 @@
     elif digits[i] == '5' and digits[i-1] in '13579':
         add = 1
     scale = 10**ndigits
-    if have_decimal and isinstance(value, Decimal):
+    if isinstance(value, Decimal):
         return Decimal(int(value * scale + add)) / scale * sign
     else:
         return float(int(value * scale + add)) / scale * sign
@@ -490,7 +486,7 @@
             # Exponent grouping
             elif self.int_prec[1]:
                 exp = int(exp) / self.int_prec[1] * self.int_prec[1]
-            if not have_decimal or not isinstance(value, Decimal):
+            if not isinstance(value, Decimal):
                 value = float(value)
             if exp < 0:
                 value = value * 10**(-exp)