diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/__init__.py b/django/contrib/admin/__init__.py
index 56b64fa..b9ed1ff 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/__init__.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from django.utils.importutils import getattr_import, module_or_none
 from django.contrib.admin.options import ModelAdmin, HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL
 from django.contrib.admin.options import StackedInline, TabularInline
 from django.contrib.admin.sites import AdminSite, site
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ def autodiscover():
     """
     from django.conf import settings
     for app in settings.INSTALLED_APPS:
-        try:
-            __import__("%s.admin" % app)
-        except ImportError:
-            pass
+        mod = module_or_none(app)
+        if not mod:
+            continue 
+        getattr_import('%s.admin' % app) 
diff --git a/django/utils/importutils.py b/django/utils/importutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b58d7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/utils/importutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+def getattr_import(module_name):
+    components = module_name.split('.') 
+    mod = __import__(module_name) 
+    for comp in components[1:]: 
+        mod = getattr(mod, comp)
+
+def module_or_none(module_name):
+    try:
+        return getattr_import(module_name)
+    except (ImportError, AttributeError):
+        return None
+        
+