diff --git a/sqlalchemy_utils/i18n.py b/sqlalchemy_utils/i18n.py
index 911326df..cad93a04 100644
--- a/sqlalchemy_utils/i18n.py
+++ b/sqlalchemy_utils/i18n.py
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@
 except ImportError:
     babel = None
 
+
 try:
-    from flask_babel import get_locale
-except ImportError:
+    def get_locale(): return babel.Locale('en')
+except AttributeError:
+    # As babel is optional, we may raise an AttributeError accessing it
     def get_locale():
         raise ImproperlyConfigured(
-            'Could not load get_locale function from Flask-Babel. Either '
-            'install Flask-Babel or make a similar function and override it '
+            'Could not load get_locale function using Babel. Either '
+            'install Babel or make a similar function and override it '
             'in this module.'
         )
 
diff --git a/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/country.py b/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/country.py
index 18f5ede8..72265425 100644
--- a/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/country.py
+++ b/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/country.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ class Country(object):
 
         Country(Country('FI')).code  # 'FI'
 
-    Country always validates the given code.
+    Country always validates the given code if you use at least the optional
+    dependency list 'babel', otherwise no validation are performed.
 
     ::
 
@@ -76,6 +77,9 @@ def validate(self, code):
             raise ValueError(
                 'Could not convert string to country code: {0}'.format(code)
             )
+        except AttributeError:
+            # As babel is optional, we may raise an AttributeError accessing it
+            pass
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if isinstance(other, Country):
diff --git a/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/currency.py b/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/currency.py
index 37bd992b..e16d71a3 100644
--- a/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/currency.py
+++ b/sqlalchemy_utils/primitives/currency.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ class Currency(object):
 
         Currency(Currency('USD')).code  # 'USD'
 
-    Currency always validates the given code.
+    Currency always validates the given code if you use at least the optional
+    dependency list 'babel', otherwise no validation are performed.
 
     ::
 
@@ -75,6 +76,9 @@ def validate(self, code):
             i18n.babel.Locale('en').currencies[code]
         except KeyError:
             raise ValueError("'{0}' is not valid currency code.".format(code))
+        except AttributeError:
+            # As babel is optional, we may raise an AttributeError accessing it
+            pass
 
     @property
     def symbol(self):