diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.cc b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.cc
index 487de87..8433058 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.cc
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.cc
@@ -67,9 +67,8 @@
     py_autogen_comment() << endl <<
     py_imports() << endl <<
     render_includes() << endl <<
-    "from thrift.transport import TTransport" << endl <<
-    "from thrift.protocol import fastbinary" << endl <<
-    "from thrift.protocol import TBinaryProtocol" << endl << endl << endl;
+    render_fastbinary_includes() <<
+    endl << endl;
 
   f_consts_ <<
     py_autogen_comment() << endl <<
@@ -94,6 +93,19 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Renders all the imports necessary to use the accelerated TBinaryProtocol
+ */
+string t_py_generator::render_fastbinary_includes() {
+  return
+    "from thrift.transport import TTransport\n"
+    "from thrift.protocol import TBinaryProtocol\n"
+    "try:\n"
+    "  from thrift.protocol import fastbinary\n"
+    "except:\n"
+    "  fastbinary = None\n";
+}
+
+/**
  * Autogen'd comment
  */
 string t_py_generator::py_autogen_comment() {
@@ -361,6 +373,10 @@
      TODO(dreiss): Consider making this work for structs with negative tags.
   */
 
+  // TODO(dreiss): Look into generating an empty tuple instead of None
+  // for structures with no members.
+  // TODO(dreiss): Test encoding of structs where some inner structs
+  // don't have thrift_spec.
   if (sorted_members.empty() || (sorted_members[0]->get_key() >= 0)) {
     indent(out) << "thrift_spec = (" << endl;
     indent_up();
@@ -386,8 +402,11 @@
 
     indent_down();
     indent(out) << ")" << endl << endl;
+  } else {
+    indent(out) << "thrift_spec = None" << endl;
   }
 
+
   out <<
     indent() << "def __init__(self, d=None):" << endl;
   indent_up();
@@ -466,7 +485,9 @@
 
   indent(out) <<
     "if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated "
-    "and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):" << endl;
+    "and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) "
+    "and self.thrift_spec is not None "
+    "and fastbinary is not None:" << endl;
   indent_up();
 
   indent(out) <<
@@ -549,7 +570,9 @@
   indent_up();
 
   indent(out) <<
-    "if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:" << endl;
+    "if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated "
+    "and self.thrift_spec is not None "
+    "and fastbinary is not None:" << endl;
   indent_up();
 
   indent(out) <<
@@ -614,10 +637,8 @@
   f_service_ <<
     "from ttypes import *" << endl <<
     "from thrift.Thrift import TProcessor" << endl <<
-    "from thrift.transport import TTransport" << endl <<
-    "from thrift.protocol import fastbinary" << endl <<
-    "from thrift.protocol import TBinaryProtocol" << endl <<
-    endl;
+    render_fastbinary_includes() <<
+    endl << endl;
 
   // Generate the three main parts of the service (well, two for now in PHP)
   generate_service_interface(tservice);
diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.h b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.h
index c367525..723745f 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.h
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_py_generator.h
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
   std::string py_autogen_comment();
   std::string py_imports();
   std::string render_includes();
+  std::string render_fastbinary_includes();
   std::string declare_field(t_field* tfield);
   std::string type_name(t_type* ttype);
   std::string function_signature(t_function* tfunction, std::string prefix="");
diff --git a/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py b/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
index 3fd6b02..9755ada 100644
--- a/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
+++ b/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
   our C module to do the encoding, bypassing this object entirely.
   We inherit from TBinaryProtocol so that the normal TBinaryProtocol
   encoding can happen if the fastbinary module doesn't work for some
-  reason.  (TODO(dreiss): Make this happen sanely.)
+  reason.  (TODO(dreiss): Make this happen sanely in more cases.)
 
   In order to take advantage of the C module, just use
   TBinaryProtocolAccelerated instead of TBinaryProtocol.
diff --git a/lib/py/src/reflection/limited/ttypes.py b/lib/py/src/reflection/limited/ttypes.py
index 9ea8a9f..ec58f66 100644
--- a/lib/py/src/reflection/limited/ttypes.py
+++ b/lib/py/src/reflection/limited/ttypes.py
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@
 from thrift.Thrift import *
 
 from thrift.transport import TTransport
-from thrift.protocol import fastbinary
 from thrift.protocol import TBinaryProtocol
+try:
+  from thrift.protocol import fastbinary
+except:
+  fastbinary = None
 
 
 class TTypeTag:
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@
         self.name = d['name']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('SimpleType')
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@
         self.subtype2 = d['subtype2']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('ContainerType')
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@
         self.container_type = d['container_type']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -233,7 +236,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('ThriftType')
@@ -286,7 +289,7 @@
         self.type = d['type']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -316,7 +319,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('Argument')
@@ -369,7 +372,7 @@
         self.arguments = d['arguments']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -405,7 +408,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('Method')
@@ -461,7 +464,7 @@
         self.fully_reflected = d['fully_reflected']
 
   def read(self, iprot):
-    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport):
+    if iprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and isinstance(iprot.trans, TTransport.CReadableTransport) and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       fastbinary.decode_binary(self, iprot.trans, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec))
       return
     iprot.readStructBegin()
@@ -496,7 +499,7 @@
     iprot.readStructEnd()
 
   def write(self, oprot):
-    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated:
+    if oprot.__class__ == TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocolAccelerated and self.thrift_spec is not None and fastbinary is not None:
       oprot.trans.write(fastbinary.encode_binary(self, (self.__class__, self.thrift_spec)))
       return
     oprot.writeStructBegin('Service')