diff --git a/doc/usage/configuration.rst b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
index 756e06cb9..35f0fcc72 100644
--- a/doc/usage/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
@@ -1713,9 +1713,9 @@ the `Dublin Core metadata <http://dublincore.org/>`_.
 
    This flag determines if sphinx should try to fix image formats that are not
    supported by some epub readers.  At the moment palette images with a small
-   color table are upgraded.  You need the Python Image Library (Pillow the
-   successor of the PIL) installed to use this option.  The default value is
-   ``False`` because the automatic conversion may lose information.
+   color table are upgraded.  You need Pillow, the Python Image Library,
+   installed to use this option.  The default value is ``False`` because the
+   automatic conversion may lose information.
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.2
 
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py b/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
index da0c9423e..f07fef21d 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
@@ -29,10 +29,7 @@ from sphinx.util.osutil import ensuredir, copyfile
 try:
     from PIL import Image
 except ImportError:
-    try:
-        import Image
-    except ImportError:
-        Image = None
+    Image = None
 
 if False:
     # For type annotation
@@ -401,9 +398,9 @@ class EpubBuilder(StandaloneHTMLBuilder):
 
     def copy_image_files_pil(self):
         # type: () -> None
-        """Copy images using the PIL.
-        The method tries to read and write the files with the PIL,
-        converting the format and resizing the image if necessary/possible.
+        """Copy images using Pillow, the Python Imaging Libary.
+        The method tries to read and write the files with Pillow, converting
+        the format and resizing the image if necessary/possible.
         """
         ensuredir(path.join(self.outdir, self.imagedir))
         for src in status_iterator(self.images, 'copying images... ', "brown",
@@ -424,7 +421,8 @@ class EpubBuilder(StandaloneHTMLBuilder):
                 continue
             if self.config.epub_fix_images:
                 if img.mode in ('P',):
-                    # See PIL documentation for Image.convert()
+                    # See the Pillow documentation for Image.convert()
+                    # https://pillow.readthedocs.io/en/stable/reference/Image.html#PIL.Image.Image.convert
                     img = img.convert()
             if self.config.epub_max_image_width > 0:
                 (width, height) = img.size
@@ -441,12 +439,12 @@ class EpubBuilder(StandaloneHTMLBuilder):
     def copy_image_files(self):
         # type: () -> None
         """Copy image files to destination directory.
-        This overwritten method can use the PIL to convert image files.
+        This overwritten method can use Pillow to convert image files.
         """
         if self.images:
             if self.config.epub_fix_images or self.config.epub_max_image_width:
                 if not Image:
-                    logger.warning(__('PIL not found - copying image files'))
+                    logger.warning(__('Pillow not found - copying image files'))
                     super().copy_image_files()
                 else:
                     self.copy_image_files_pil()
diff --git a/sphinx/util/images.py b/sphinx/util/images.py
index 5be31f6aa..e52e81dcd 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/images.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/images.py
@@ -21,12 +21,9 @@ import imagesize
 from sphinx.deprecation import RemovedInSphinx30Warning
 
 try:
-    from PIL import Image        # check for the Python Imaging Library
+    from PIL import Image
 except ImportError:
-    try:
-        import Image
-    except ImportError:
-        Image = None
+    Image = None
 
 if False:
     # For type annotation
@@ -53,7 +50,7 @@ def get_image_size(filename):
         if size[0] == -1:
             size = None
 
-        if size is None and Image:  # fallback to PIL
+        if size is None and Image:  # fallback to Pillow
             im = Image.open(filename)
             size = im.size
             try: