diff --git a/nipype/info.py b/nipype/info.py
index de202e017e..57dc37fc26 100644
--- a/nipype/info.py
+++ b/nipype/info.py
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ def get_nipype_gitversion():
     "simplejson>=%s" % SIMPLEJSON_MIN_VERSION,
     "traits>=%s" % TRAITS_MIN_VERSION,
     "filelock>=3.0.0",
+    "acres",
     "etelemetry>=0.3.1",
     "looseversion!=1.2",
     "puremagic",
diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/base/tests/test_support.py b/nipype/interfaces/base/tests/test_support.py
index 52770e476c..406e6e9358 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/base/tests/test_support.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/base/tests/test_support.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import pytest
 
-from pkg_resources import resource_filename as pkgrf
+import acres
 
 from ....utils.filemanip import md5
 from ... import base as nib
@@ -42,14 +42,13 @@ def test_bunch_methods():
 def test_bunch_hash():
     # NOTE: Since the path to the json file is included in the Bunch,
     # the hash will be unique to each machine.
-    json_pth = pkgrf("nipype", os.path.join("testing", "data", "realign_json.json"))
+    json_pth = acres.Loader('nipype.testing').cached('data', 'realign_json.json')
 
-    b = nib.Bunch(infile=json_pth, otherthing="blue", yat=True)
+    b = nib.Bunch(infile=str(json_pth), otherthing="blue", yat=True)
     newbdict, bhash = b._get_bunch_hash()
     assert bhash == "d1f46750044c3de102efc847720fc35f"
     # Make sure the hash stored in the json file for `infile` is correct.
     jshash = md5()
-    with open(json_pth) as fp:
-        jshash.update(fp.read().encode("utf-8"))
+    jshash.update(json_pth.read_bytes())
     assert newbdict["infile"][0][1] == jshash.hexdigest()
     assert newbdict["yat"] is True
diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/fsl/model.py b/nipype/interfaces/fsl/model.py
index 2a148025f5..2ada4ab969 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/fsl/model.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/fsl/model.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from shutil import rmtree
 from string import Template
 
+import acres
 import numpy as np
 from looseversion import LooseVersion
 from nibabel import load
@@ -2547,12 +2548,5 @@ def load_template(name):
     template : string.Template
 
     """
-    from pkg_resources import resource_filename as pkgrf
-
-    full_fname = pkgrf(
-        "nipype", os.path.join("interfaces", "fsl", "model_templates", name)
-    )
-    with open(full_fname) as template_file:
-        template = Template(template_file.read())
-
-    return template
+    loader = acres.Loader('nipype.interfaces.fsl')
+    return Template(loader.readable('model_templates', name).read_text())