diff --git a/example-plugins/async_plugin.py b/example-plugins/async_plugin.py
index e274425..dd628f1 100644
--- a/example-plugins/async_plugin.py
+++ b/example-plugins/async_plugin.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class Async(AnalysisPlugin):
     '''An example of an asynchronous module'''
     author = '@balkian'
     version = '0.2'
-    async = True
+    sync = False
 
     def _do_async(self, num_processes):
         pool = multiprocessing.Pool(processes=num_processes)
diff --git a/senpy/extensions.py b/senpy/extensions.py
index d545485..b399221 100644
--- a/senpy/extensions.py
+++ b/senpy/extensions.py
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ class Senpy(object):
 
         logger.info("Activating plugin: {}".format(plugin.name))
 
-        if sync or not getattr(plugin, 'async', True):
+        if sync or not getattr(plugin, 'async', True) or getattr(plugin, 'sync', False):
             return self._activate(plugin)
         else:
             th = Thread(target=partial(self._activate, plugin))
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ class Senpy(object):
 
         self._set_active(plugin, False)
 
-        if sync or not getattr(plugin, 'async', True):
+        if sync or not getattr(plugin, 'async', True) or not getattr(plugin, 'sync', False):
             self._deactivate(plugin)
         else:
             th = Thread(target=partial(self._deactivate, plugin))
diff --git a/senpy/gsitk_compat.py b/senpy/gsitk_compat.py
index aef66da..3cc143f 100644
--- a/senpy/gsitk_compat.py
+++ b/senpy/gsitk_compat.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 
+from pkg_resources import parse_version, get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 MSG = 'GSITK is not (properly) installed.'
@@ -12,15 +14,18 @@ def raise_exception(*args, **kwargs):
 
 
 try:
+    gsitk_distro = get_distribution("gsitk")
+    GSITK_VERSION = parse_version(gsitk_distro.version)
+    GSITK_AVAILABLE = GSITK_VERSION > parse_version("0.1.9.1")  # Earlier versions have a bug
+except DistributionNotFound:
+    GSITK_AVAILABLE = False
+    GSITK_VERSION = ()
+
+if GSITK_AVAILABLE:
     from gsitk.datasets.datasets import DatasetManager
     from gsitk.evaluation.evaluation import Evaluation as Eval
     from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
-    import pkg_resources
-    GSITK_VERSION = pkg_resources.get_distribution("gsitk").version.split()
-    GSITK_AVAILABLE = GSITK_VERSION > (0, 1, 9, 1)  # Earlier versions have a bug
     modules = locals()
-except ImportError:
+else:
     logger.warning(IMPORTMSG)
-    GSITK_AVAILABLE = False
-    GSITK_VERSION = ()
     DatasetManager = Eval = Pipeline = raise_exception