diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 856d23e8b..6812d23fe 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Bugs fixed
 ----------
 
 * #4885, #4887: py domain: Crashed with duplicated objects
+* #4889: latex: sphinx.writers.latex causes recusrive import
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index f5209eb38..17eabc462 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ from six import itervalues, text_type
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx import highlighting
-from sphinx.builders.latex.transforms import URI_SCHEMES, ShowUrlsTransform  # NOQA  # for compatibility
 from sphinx.errors import SphinxError
 from sphinx.locale import admonitionlabels, _
 from sphinx.util import split_into, logging
@@ -2561,3 +2560,10 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
     def unknown_visit(self, node):
         # type: (nodes.Node) -> None
         raise NotImplementedError('Unknown node: ' + node.__class__.__name__)
+
+
+# Import old modules here for compatibility
+# They should be imported after `LaTeXTranslator` to avoid recursive import.
+#
+# refs: https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/issues/4889
+from sphinx.builders.latex.transforms import URI_SCHEMES, ShowUrlsTransform  # NOQA