Short answer: yes—this is a pretty common Python import/shadowing issue (not Prefect-specific), and it tends to show up more often in remote runs than locally. Why it happens - A different module named

utils

is being imported in your run environment (there’s a third‑party package called

utils

, and it often wins over your local file). - Your repo layout or `PYTHONPATH`/working directory in the worker doesn’t include your local

utils.py

or

utils/

package. -

utils

is a package but

read_file

isn’t exported from

utils/__init__.py

, so

import utils

won’t have

read_file

. - Name collisions from generic filenames like

utils.py

. Quick ways to confirm Add a small debug snippet near the top of your flow to see which module is being imported in the worker:

import sys
import importlib

try:
    utils = importlib.import_module("utils")
    print("utils resolved to:", getattr(utils, "__file__", None))
    print("Has read_file?", hasattr(utils, "read_file"))
    print("sys.path (truncated):", sys.path[:5])
except Exception as e:
    print("Import debug error:", e)

Recommended fixes - Prefer a unique, namespaced package and absolute imports: - Turn your code into a package (add

__init__.py

) like

my_project/

and import with

from my_project.utils import read_file

. - Avoid bare

import utils

. - If

utils

is a package directory, export the function in `utils/__init__.py`:

# utils/__init__.py
  from .readers import read_file  # if defined in readers.py

- Ensure the worker can see your code: - Process work pool: set the Working Directory to your repo root and make sure the worker runs there. - Docker/Kubernetes: bake your code into the image and/or

pip install -e .

your package during image build. - Avoid naming collisions: - Rename

utils

to something less generic (e.g.,

acme_utils

), or uninstall any unintended

utils

package in the environment. A couple of clarifying questions to help pinpoint it: - Does the flow run succeed locally but fail only on the worker/Cloud? - Which worker type are you using (Process, Docker, Kubernetes) and how is your code made available to the run? - What does your repo layout and import line look like? If you share your import line, a quick tree of your repo, and how the deployment/worker is set up, I can suggest the smallest change to make this reliable.

Got it—thanks for the extra detail. Intermittent “module 'utils' has no attribute 'read_file'” almost always comes down to one of these patterns: Most likely root causes 1) Import pattern relying on side-effects - Symptom: You have something like:

import utils
  utils.read_file(...)

This only works if

read_file

is either defined in

utils/__init__.py

or a submodule (e.g.,

utils.read_file

) has already been imported earlier in the process. Depending on import order, it can “sometimes” work and sometimes not. - Fixes: - Explicitly import the submodule or symbol:

from xxx_utils.readers import read_file  # preferred
    # or
    import xxx_utils.readers as utils; utils.read_file(...)

- Or export it from your package init:

# xxx_utils/__init__.py
    from .readers import read_file

2) Inconsistent environments across runs - If you have multiple workers (Process/Docker/K8s) and some have your editable install wired up while others don’t, import resolution will differ by where the flow lands. - Fixes: - Make sure every worker uses the same environment (ideally a pinned Docker image) and the same installed package version. - Avoid editable installs in production; build and install a wheel (pip install dist/*.whl) so the import path is stable. - If you must stay editable, confirm the .pth path is present in every worker’s site-packages and that the source path is readable. - Temporarily route runs to a single known-good worker to confirm it stops flaking. 3) Working directory or sys.path differences - Editable installs usually add a .pth entry, but if your code is also being run from another checkout, CWD/sys.path ordering can favor a different “utils” or miss your package. - Fixes: - In Prefect 2.x, set the working directory explicitly on the work pool or infrastructure block to your repo root. - Log what’s being imported to confirm:

import importlib, sys
    m = importlib.import_module("utils")
    print("utils file:", getattr(m, "__file__", None))
    print("has read_file:", hasattr(m, "read_file"))
    print("sys.path[:5]:", sys.path[:5])

4) Name collision with another “utils” - Even though your dist name is xxx_utils, if your top-level package is named “utils”, it can collide with a third-party “utils”. - Fixes: - Rename the package to a unique top-level name (e.g.,

xxx_utils

as the import path too). - Or fully qualify all imports with

xxx_utils.*

and never use bare

import utils

. A couple of things to check quickly - What’s the exact import statement where this fails? - Where is

read_file

defined (file path) and does

xxx_utils/__init__.py

expose it (if you use

from xxx_utils import read_file

)? - How many workers do you have, and are they all built from the same image/venv? - Does the failure correlate with worker restarts or image refreshes (e.g., nightly), or runs landing on a particular worker? If you can share: - The failing import line(s) - A quick tree of your package showing where

read_file

lives - Your worker type (Process/Docker/Kubernetes) and how environments are provisioned …I can suggest the smallest, safest change. My bias: stop using bare

import utils

and switch to an explicit, fully qualified import (e.g.,

from <http://xxx_utils.io|xxx_utils.io> import read_file

) and/or export it in

xxx_utils/__init__.py

. Also, in 2.x production, prefer a pinned image over editable installs to eliminate env drift.

Thanks—that helps. Direct answers: - An empty

xxx_utils/__init__.py

is normal. You only need to put exports there if you want to import symbols directly from

xxx_utils

(e.g.,

from xxx_utils import read_file

). Since you’re doing

from xxx_utils import sfmc

, an empty

__init__.py

is fine. - Having

read_file

defined inside

xxx_utils/sfmc.py

and calling it as

sfmc.read_file(...)

is also fine. Given the error text says “module 'utils' has no attribute 'read_file'”, there’s almost certainly some code path importing or referencing a top-level module named

utils

. That would explain why it’s intermittent: sometimes Python finds a third‑party

utils

package (or a stray

utils.py

on sys.path) instead of your

xxx_utils

code. Things to verify/fix: 1) Search for stray imports - Grep your repo for any of these and remove/replace them: -

import utils

-

from utils import

-

utils.read_file(

- Also check inside

xxx_utils/sfmc.py

for any imports like

import utils

(if it imports sibling modules), and change them to explicit relative imports instead:

from .other_module import something

2) Prefer a fully qualified import of the function to remove ambiguity - Change call sites to:

from xxx_utils.sfmc import read_file
  contents = read_file(path)

This bypasses any accidental shadowing by a

utils

package. 3) Optionally re-export the submodule in your package init for clarity - Not required, but can make

from xxx_utils import sfmc

more explicit and resilient:

# xxx_utils/__init__.py
  from . import sfmc
  __all__ = ["sfmc"]

4) Check for environment drift across workers - If you have multiple workers, some may have a third‑party

utils

installed (or a leftover

utils.py

on disk) while others don’t. - Quick runtime probe at the start of a flow run:

import importlib, sys
  try:
      u = importlib.import_module("utils")
      print("utils resolved to:", getattr(u, "__file__", None))
      print("has read_file:", hasattr(u, "read_file"))
  except Exception as e:
      print("could not import 'utils':", e)
  import xxx_utils.sfmc as sfmc
  print("sfmc file:", getattr(sfmc, "__file__", None))
  print("has read_file:", hasattr(sfmc, "read_file"))
  print("sys.path[:5]:", sys.path[:5])

If this prints a path for

utils

, that’s your collision. 5) Packaging/layout hardening - If you’re using editable installs in 2.x, make sure you use a src/ layout to avoid picking up random top-level modules: -

src/xxx_utils/sfmc.py

-

pyproject.toml

setup to use

packages = ["xxx_utils"]

under

src/

- In production, consider replacing

pip install -e .

with a pinned wheel in a consistent image/venv so every worker sees the same code. 6) Remove accidental third‑party “utils” - On any worker where this flaked, run: -

python -c "import utils, sys; print(getattr(utils, '__file__', None))"

- If it points to site‑packages, consider uninstalling that

utils

package (or renaming your own code to never rely on a top‑level name “utils”). If you can share: - The exact stack trace line where the AttributeError is raised - A quick grep result for

import utils

/

utils.read_file

in your repo (including inside

xxx_utils/sfmc.py

) - Worker type/count and how environments are provisioned …I can pinpoint which of the above is biting you and suggest the smallest change. My bet: there’s a stray

import utils

somewhere, or a third‑party

utils

present on some workers only. Switching call sites to

from xxx_utils.sfmc import read_file

is usually the fastest, robust fix.

Short answer: no—there’s no standard-library module named “utils,” and there isn’t a built-in stdlib function called “read_file.” Notes that can look similar but aren’t the same: - configparser.ConfigParser.read_file(...) is a method on a class (not a top-level function). - pathlib.Path has read_text/read_bytes (not read_file). - Many stdlib modules just use open(...) and .read(). Common third-party packages that do have a read_file: - TensorFlow: tf.io.read_file - TorchVision: torchvision.io.read_file - GeoPandas: geopandas.read_file None of these live under a module named utils. Why this matters for your error - Since there’s no stdlib “utils,” your intermittent failures are very likely due to a third-party PyPI package named utils (or a stray utils.py on sys.path) being imported sometimes instead of your xxx_utils code. That conflicting utils typically won’t have read_file, hence the AttributeError. Quick confirmation in the failing environment

import importlib, sys
u = importlib.import_module("utils")
print("imported utils from:", getattr(u, "__file__", None))
print("has read_file?", hasattr(u, "read_file"))
print("sys.path[:5]:", sys.path[:5])

If this prints a site-packages path, that’s your collision. Most robust fix - Stop relying on a top-level utils name anywhere. Use fully qualified imports from your package:

from xxx_utils.sfmc import read_file

- Optionally, re-export your submodule in init.py:

# xxx_utils/__init__.py
  from . import sfmc
  __all__ = ["sfmc"]

- Ensure all workers use the same environment (ideally a pinned image) and avoid editable installs in production. If you paste the probe output (the file it resolves to), I can help pinpoint exactly what’s being imported and the smallest change to eliminate the flakiness.