diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index af86367200f..541d21da4df 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 from black.mode import TargetVersion
 from black.output import diff, err, out
 
+from . import conftest
+
 PYTHON_SUFFIX = ".py"
 ALLOWED_SUFFIXES = (PYTHON_SUFFIX, ".pyi", ".out", ".diff", ".ipynb")
 
@@ -34,32 +36,29 @@
 
 
 def _assert_format_equal(expected: str, actual: str) -> None:
-    # need to import inside the function for the monkeypatching tests to work
-    from .conftest import PRINT_FULL_TREE, PRINT_TREE_DIFF
-
-    if actual != expected and (PRINT_FULL_TREE or PRINT_TREE_DIFF):
+    if actual != expected and (conftest.PRINT_FULL_TREE or conftest.PRINT_TREE_DIFF):
         bdv: DebugVisitor[Any]
         actual_out: str = ""
         expected_out: str = ""
-        if PRINT_FULL_TREE:
+        if conftest.PRINT_FULL_TREE:
             out("Expected tree:", fg="green")
         try:
             exp_node = black.lib2to3_parse(expected)
-            bdv = DebugVisitor(print_output=bool(PRINT_FULL_TREE))
+            bdv = DebugVisitor(print_output=conftest.PRINT_FULL_TREE)
             list(bdv.visit(exp_node))
             expected_out = "\n".join(bdv.list_output)
         except Exception as ve:
             err(str(ve))
-        if PRINT_FULL_TREE:
+        if conftest.PRINT_FULL_TREE:
             out("Actual tree:", fg="red")
         try:
             exp_node = black.lib2to3_parse(actual)
-            bdv = DebugVisitor(print_output=bool(PRINT_FULL_TREE))
+            bdv = DebugVisitor(print_output=conftest.PRINT_FULL_TREE)
             list(bdv.visit(exp_node))
             actual_out = "\n".join(bdv.list_output)
         except Exception as ve:
             err(str(ve))
-        if PRINT_TREE_DIFF:
+        if conftest.PRINT_TREE_DIFF:
             out("Tree Diff:")
             out(
                 diff(expected_out, actual_out, "expected tree", "actual tree")