diff --git a/mnefun/_ssp.py b/mnefun/_ssp.py
index e4bbb02..65e7af3 100644
--- a/mnefun/_ssp.py
+++ b/mnefun/_ssp.py
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@
 from mne.io import read_raw_fif
 from mne.viz import plot_drop_log
 from mne.utils import _pl
-
+try:
+    from mne._fiff.proj import _needs_eeg_average_ref_proj
+except ImportError:  # MNE < 1.6
+    from mne.io.proj import _needs_eeg_average_ref_proj
 from ._epoching import _raise_bad_epochs
 from ._paths import get_raw_fnames, get_bad_fname
 from ._utils import (get_args, _fix_raw_eog_cals, _handle_dict, _safe_remove,
@@ -43,7 +46,6 @@ def _raw_LRFCP(raw_names, sfreq, l_freq, h_freq, n_jobs, n_jobs_resample,
                fir_design='firwin2', pick=True,
                skip_by_annotation=('bad', 'skip')):
     """Helper to load, filter, concatenate, then project raw files"""
-    from mne.io.proj import _needs_eeg_average_ref_proj
     from ._sss import _read_raw_prebad
     if isinstance(raw_names, str):
         raw_names = [raw_names]
diff --git a/mnefun/_sss.py b/mnefun/_sss.py
index 6acf786..b24c236 100644
--- a/mnefun/_sss.py
+++ b/mnefun/_sss.py
@@ -22,8 +22,13 @@
 except Exception:  # <= 0.23
     from mne.chpi import _get_hpi_info as get_chpi_info
 from mne.chpi import read_head_pos, write_head_pos, filter_chpi
+from mne.annotations import _handle_meas_date, _annotations_starts_stops
 
 from mne.io import BaseRaw, read_info, read_raw_fif, write_info
+try:
+    from mne._fiff.meas_info import _empty_info
+except ImportError:  # < 1.6
+    from mne.io.meas_info import _empty_info
 from mne.preprocessing import maxwell_filter
 from mne.transforms import (apply_trans, invert_transform, quat_to_rot,
                             rot_to_quat)
@@ -427,8 +432,6 @@ def run_sss_locally(p, subjects, run_indices):
     --------
     mne.preprocessing.maxwell_filter
     """
-    from mne.annotations import _handle_meas_date
-
     from ._ssp import _compute_erm_proj, _proj_nums
     assert isinstance(p.tsss_dur, float) and p.tsss_dur > 0
     st_duration = p.tsss_dur
@@ -847,7 +850,6 @@ def _get_fit_data(raw, p=None, prefix='    ', subj=None):
 def _head_pos_annot(p, subj, raw_fname, prefix='  '):
     """Locate head position estimation file and do annotations."""
     raw = _read_raw_prebad(p, subj, raw_fname, disp=False)
-    from mne.annotations import _handle_meas_date
     printed = False
     if p is not None and p.movecomp is None:
         fit_data = head_pos = t_window = None
@@ -971,7 +973,6 @@ def info_sss_basis(info, origin='auto', int_order=8, ext_order=3,
 def calc_median_hp(p, subj, out_file, ridx):
     """Calculate median head position"""
     print('        Estimating median head position ...')
-    from mne.io.meas_info import _empty_info
     raw_files = get_raw_fnames(p, subj, 'raw', False, False, ridx)
     ts = []
     qs = []
@@ -1001,8 +1002,6 @@ def calc_median_hp(p, subj, out_file, ridx):
 
 def calc_twa_hp(p, subj, out_file, ridx):
     """Calculate time-weighted average head position."""
-    from mne.annotations import _annotations_starts_stops
-    from mne.io.meas_info import _empty_info
     if not p.movecomp:
         # Eventually we could relax this but probably YAGNI
         raise RuntimeError('Cannot use time-weighted average head position '
diff --git a/mnefun/_viz.py b/mnefun/_viz.py
index 6632d60..5c040f6 100644
--- a/mnefun/_viz.py
+++ b/mnefun/_viz.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from mne import read_proj, read_events, pick_types
 from mne.utils import verbose, ProgressBar, logger
-from mne.viz.utils import tight_layout, plt_show
+from mne.viz.utils import plt_show
 
 from ._sss import compute_good_coils
 from ._paths import get_raw_fnames
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def plot_reconstruction(evoked, origin=(0., 0., 0.04)):
     info_to['projs'] = []
     op = _map_meg_channels(
         evoked.info, info_to, mode='accurate', origin=(0., 0., 0.04))
-    fig, axs = plt.subplots(3, 2, squeeze=False)
+    fig, axs = plt.subplots(3, 2, squeeze=False, layout="constrained")
     titles = dict(grad='Gradiometers (fT/cm)', mag='Magnetometers (fT)')
     for mi, meg in enumerate(('grad', 'mag')):
         picks = pick_types(evoked.info, meg=meg)
@@ -166,7 +166,6 @@ def plot_reconstruction(evoked, origin=(0., 0., 0.04)):
     axs[0, 0].set_ylabel('Original')
     axs[1, 0].set_ylabel('Projection')
     axs[2, 0].set_ylabel('Reconstruction')
-    fig.tight_layout()
     return fig
 
 
@@ -285,7 +284,7 @@ def plot_chpi_snr_raw(raw, win_length, n_harmonics=None, show=True, *,
     logger.info('[done]')
 
     cfreqs_legend = ['%s Hz' % fre for fre in cfreqs]
-    fig, axs = plt.subplots(4, 1, sharex=True)
+    fig, axs = plt.subplots(4, 1, sharex=True, layout="constrained")
 
     # SNR plots for gradiometers and magnetometers
     ax = axs[0]
@@ -330,8 +329,6 @@ def plot_chpi_snr_raw(raw, win_length, n_harmonics=None, show=True, *,
     ax.set_title('Residual (unexplained) variance, all gradiometer channels',
                  fontsize=title_fontsize)
     ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='major', labelsize=tick_fontsize)
-    tight_layout(pad=.5, w_pad=.1, h_pad=.2)  # from mne.viz
-    # tight_layout will screw these up
     ax = axs[0]
     box = ax.get_position()
     ax.set_position([box.x0, box.y0, box.width * 0.8, box.height])
@@ -400,7 +397,6 @@ def plot_good_coils(raw, t_step=1., t_window=0.2, dist_limit=0.005,
         ax.fill_between(t, 0, n_coils, where=mask,
                         color=color, edgecolor='none', linewidth=0, zorder=1)
     ax.grid(True)
-    fig.tight_layout()
     plt_show(show)
     return fig