diff --git a/openml/utils/__init__.py b/openml/utils/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83e379222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openml/utils/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Utilities module."""
+
+from openml.utils._openml import (
+    ProgressBar,
+    _create_cache_directory,
+    _create_cache_directory_for_id,
+    _create_lockfiles_dir,
+    _delete_entity,
+    _get_cache_dir_for_id,
+    _get_cache_dir_for_key,
+    _get_rest_api_type_alias,
+    _list_all,
+    _remove_cache_dir_for_id,
+    _tag_entity,
+    _tag_openml_base,
+    extract_xml_tags,
+    thread_safe_if_oslo_installed,
+)
+
+__all__ = [
+    "ProgressBar",
+    "_create_cache_directory",
+    "_create_cache_directory_for_id",
+    "_create_lockfiles_dir",
+    "_delete_entity",
+    "_get_cache_dir_for_id",
+    "_get_cache_dir_for_key",
+    "_get_rest_api_type_alias",
+    "_list_all",
+    "_remove_cache_dir_for_id",
+    "_tag_entity",
+    "_tag_openml_base",
+    "extract_xml_tags",
+    "thread_safe_if_oslo_installed",
+]
diff --git a/openml/utils.py b/openml/utils/_openml.py
similarity index 99%
rename from openml/utils.py
rename to openml/utils/_openml.py
index 7e72e7aee..f20aedcca 100644
--- a/openml/utils.py
+++ b/openml/utils/_openml.py
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@
 import openml
 import openml._api_calls
 import openml.exceptions
-
-from . import config
+from openml import config
 
 # Avoid import cycles: https://mypy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/common_issues.html#import-cycles
 if TYPE_CHECKING: