diff --git a/CHANGES/1561.bugfix b/CHANGES/1561.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f27cc207e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/1561.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Resolved circular import errors raised when using pulp-container as a library.
diff --git a/pulp_container/app/exceptions.py b/pulp_container/app/exceptions.py
index 634b610b6..8b2c998ed 100644
--- a/pulp_container/app/exceptions.py
+++ b/pulp_container/app/exceptions.py
@@ -1,19 +1,4 @@
-from rest_framework import status, views
-from rest_framework.exceptions import (
-    AuthenticationFailed,
-    NotAuthenticated,
-    NotFound,
-    ParseError,
-)
-
-
-def unauthorized_exception_handler(exc, context):
-    response = views.exception_handler(exc, context)
-
-    if isinstance(exc, (AuthenticationFailed, NotAuthenticated)):
-        response.status_code = status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
-
-    return response
+from rest_framework.exceptions import NotFound, ParseError
 
 
 class RepositoryNotFound(NotFound):
diff --git a/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py b/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
index 3d617c0bb..365aa7a0f 100644
--- a/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
+++ b/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 from rest_framework.serializers import ModelSerializer
 from rest_framework.settings import api_settings
 from rest_framework.viewsets import ViewSet
-from rest_framework.views import APIView
+from rest_framework.views import APIView, exception_handler
+from rest_framework.status import HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
 
 from pulp_container.app import models, serializers
 from pulp_container.app.authorization import AuthorizationService
@@ -53,7 +54,6 @@
     RegistryApiCache,
 )
 from pulp_container.app.exceptions import (
-    unauthorized_exception_handler,
     InvalidRequest,
     RepositoryNotFound,
     RepositoryInvalid,
@@ -417,6 +417,15 @@ def get_exception_handler(self):
         return unauthorized_exception_handler
 
 
+def unauthorized_exception_handler(exc, context):
+    response = exception_handler(exc, context)
+
+    if isinstance(exc, (AuthenticationFailed, NotAuthenticated)):
+        response.status_code = HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
+
+    return response
+
+
 class VersionView(ContainerRegistryApiMixin, APIView):
     """
     Handles requests to the /v2/ endpoint.