diff --git a/qutebrowser/misc/earlyinit.py b/qutebrowser/misc/earlyinit.py
index 89c665404..e381edb78 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/misc/earlyinit.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/misc/earlyinit.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def fix_harfbuzz(args):
 def check_pyqt_core():
     """Check if PyQt core is installed."""
     try:
-        import PyQt5.QtCore
+        import PyQt5.QtCore  # pylint: disable=unused-variable
     except ImportError as e:
         text = _missing_str('PyQt5',
                             windows="Use the installer by Riverbank computing "
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ def maybe_import_webengine():
     See https://github.com/The-Compiler/qutebrowser/pull/1629#issuecomment-231613099
     """
     try:
-        from PyQt5 import QtWebEngineWidgets
+        from PyQt5 import QtWebEngineWidgets  # pylint: disable=unused-variable
     except ImportError:
         pass
 
diff --git a/tests/helpers/fixtures.py b/tests/helpers/fixtures.py
index 83a200ebd..f95454d78 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/fixtures.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def _generate_cmdline_tests():
 def cmdline_test(request):
     """Fixture which generates tests for things validating commandlines."""
     # Import qutebrowser.app so all cmdutils.register decorators get run.
-    import qutebrowser.app
+    import qutebrowser.app  # pylint: disable=unused-variable
     return request.param
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
index 9bd7e2a25..f2fb8cdc7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ class TestDefaultConfig:
     def test_default_key_config(self):
         """Test validating of the default key config."""
         # We import qutebrowser.app so the cmdutils.register decorators run.
-        import qutebrowser.app
+        import qutebrowser.app  # pylint: disable=unused-variable
         conf = keyconf.KeyConfigParser(None, None)
         runner = runners.CommandRunner(win_id=0)
         for sectname in configdata.KEY_DATA:
diff --git a/tests/unit/misc/test_checkpyver.py b/tests/unit/misc/test_checkpyver.py
index 92d44dc22..c0b107c4e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/misc/test_checkpyver.py
+++ b/tests/unit/misc/test_checkpyver.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def test_patched_errwindow(capfd, mocker, monkeypatch):
                         lambda status: None)
 
     try:
-        import tkinter
+        import tkinter  # pylint: disable=unused-variable
     except ImportError:
         tk_mock = mocker.patch('qutebrowser.misc.checkpyver.Tk',
                                spec=['withdraw'], new_callable=mocker.Mock)