diff --git a/extmod/uasyncio/__init__.py b/extmod/uasyncio/__init__.py
index fa64438f6b2a0..3361159587f24 100644
--- a/extmod/uasyncio/__init__.py
+++ b/extmod/uasyncio/__init__.py
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ def __getattr__(attr):
     mod = _attrs.get(attr, None)
     if mod is None:
         raise AttributeError(attr)
-    value = getattr(__import__(mod, None, None, True, 1), attr)
+    value = getattr(__import__(mod, globals(), None, True, 1), attr)
     globals()[attr] = value
     return value
diff --git a/py/builtinimport.c b/py/builtinimport.c
index 094959f97d381..19d45d4bac673 100644
--- a/py/builtinimport.c
+++ b/py/builtinimport.c
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ STATIC void do_load(mp_module_context_t *module_obj, vstr_t *file) {
 
 // Convert a relative (to the current module) import, going up "level" levels,
 // into an absolute import.
-STATIC void evaluate_relative_import(mp_int_t level, const char **module_name, size_t *module_name_len) {
+STATIC void evaluate_relative_import(mp_int_t level, const char **module_name, size_t *module_name_len, mp_obj_t globals) {
     // What we want to do here is to take the name of the current module,
     // remove <level> trailing components, and concatenate the passed-in
     // module name.
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ STATIC void evaluate_relative_import(mp_int_t level, const char **module_name, s
     // module's position in the package hierarchy."
     // http://legacy.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0328/#relative-imports-and-name
 
-    mp_obj_t current_module_name_obj = mp_obj_dict_get(MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(mp_globals_get()), MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__));
+    mp_obj_t current_module_name_obj = mp_obj_dict_get(globals, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__));
     assert(current_module_name_obj != MP_OBJ_NULL);
 
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_OVERRIDE_MAIN_IMPORT && MICROPY_CPYTHON_COMPAT
@@ -274,12 +274,12 @@ STATIC void evaluate_relative_import(mp_int_t level, const char **module_name, s
         // This is a module loaded by -m command-line switch (e.g. unix port),
         // and so its __name__ has been set to "__main__". Get its real name
         // that we stored during import in the __main__ attribute.
-        current_module_name_obj = mp_obj_dict_get(MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(mp_globals_get()), MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___main__));
+        current_module_name_obj = mp_obj_dict_get(globals, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___main__));
     }
     #endif
 
     // If we have a __path__ in the globals dict, then we're a package.
-    bool is_pkg = mp_map_lookup(&mp_globals_get()->map, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___path__), MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
+    bool is_pkg = mp_map_lookup(mp_obj_dict_get_map(globals), MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR___path__), MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
 
     #if DEBUG_PRINT
     DEBUG_printf("Current module/package: ");
@@ -480,6 +480,17 @@ mp_obj_t mp_builtin___import__(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     // "from ...foo.bar import baz" --> module_name="foo.bar"
     mp_obj_t module_name_obj = args[0];
 
+    // This is the dict with all global symbols.
+    mp_obj_t globals = mp_const_none;
+    if (n_args >= 2) {
+        globals = args[1];
+    }
+    if (globals == mp_const_none) {
+        globals = MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(mp_globals_get());
+    } else if (!mp_obj_is_type(globals, &mp_type_dict)) {
+        mp_raise_TypeError(MP_ERROR_TEXT("globals must be dict"));
+    }
+
     // These are the imported names.
     // i.e. "from foo.bar import baz, zap" --> fromtuple=("baz", "zap",)
     // Note: There's a special case on the Unix port, where this is set to mp_const_false which means that it's __main__.
@@ -505,7 +516,7 @@ mp_obj_t mp_builtin___import__(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
 
     if (level != 0) {
         // Turn "foo.bar" into "<current module minus 3 components>.foo.bar".
-        evaluate_relative_import(level, &module_name, &module_name_len);
+        evaluate_relative_import(level, &module_name, &module_name_len, globals);
     }
 
     if (module_name_len == 0) {
diff --git a/py/runtime.c b/py/runtime.c
index 8c93f539e04e6..b1fed7096981c 100644
--- a/py/runtime.c
+++ b/py/runtime.c
@@ -1408,7 +1408,7 @@ mp_obj_t mp_import_name(qstr name, mp_obj_t fromlist, mp_obj_t level) {
     // build args array
     mp_obj_t args[5];
     args[0] = MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(name);
-    args[1] = mp_const_none; // TODO should be globals
+    args[1] = MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(mp_globals_get()); // globals of the current context
     args[2] = mp_const_none; // TODO should be locals
     args[3] = fromlist;
     args[4] = level;
diff --git a/tests/import/import_override2.py b/tests/import/import_override2.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2cd2da21ebd55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/import/import_override2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# test overriding __import__ combined with importing from the filesystem
+
+
+def custom_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level):
+    print("import", name, fromlist, level)
+    return orig_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level)
+
+
+orig_import = __import__
+try:
+    __import__("builtins").__import__ = custom_import
+except AttributeError:
+    print("SKIP")
+    raise SystemExit
+
+# import calls __import__ behind the scenes
+import pkg7.subpkg1.subpkg2.mod3
+
+
+try:
+    # globals must be a dict or None, not a string
+    orig_import("builtins", "globals", None, None, 0)
+except TypeError:
+    print("TypeError")
+try:
+    # ... same for relative imports (level > 0)
+    orig_import("builtins", "globals", None, None, 1)
+except TypeError:
+    print("TypeError")
diff --git a/tests/import/import_override2.py.exp b/tests/import/import_override2.py.exp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..99dd8d7ac2fcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/import/import_override2.py.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import pkg7.subpkg1.subpkg2.mod3 None 0
+pkg __name__: pkg7
+pkg __name__: pkg7.subpkg1
+pkg __name__: pkg7.subpkg1.subpkg2
+import  ('mod1',) 3
+import pkg7.mod1 True 0
+mod1
+import mod2 ('bar',) 3
+mod2
+mod1.foo
+mod2.bar
+import  ('mod1',) 4
+ImportError
+TypeError
+TypeError