diff --git a/jedi/api/project.py b/jedi/api/project.py
index ec958662..e39a1a6a 100644
--- a/jedi/api/project.py
+++ b/jedi/api/project.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from jedi.api.exceptions import WrongVersion
 from jedi._compatibility import force_unicode
 from jedi.evaluate.sys_path import discover_buildout_paths
 from jedi.evaluate.cache import evaluator_as_method_param_cache
-from jedi.evaluate.sys_path import traverse_parents
+from jedi.common.utils import traverse_parents
 
 _CONFIG_FOLDER = '.jedi'
 _CONTAINS_POTENTIAL_PROJECT = 'setup.py', '.git', '.hg', 'MANIFEST.in'
diff --git a/jedi/common/utils.py b/jedi/common/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72726a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jedi/common/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import os
+
+
+def traverse_parents(path, include_current=False):
+    if not include_current:
+        path = os.path.dirname(path)
+
+    previous = None
+    while previous != path:
+        yield path
+        previous = path
+        path = os.path.dirname(path)
diff --git a/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py b/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
index a18d0c50..2339a805 100644
--- a/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
+++ b/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ from jedi._compatibility import unicode, force_unicode
 from jedi.evaluate.cache import evaluator_method_cache
 from jedi.evaluate.base_context import ContextualizedNode
 from jedi.evaluate.helpers import is_string
+from jedi.common.utils import traverse_parents
 from jedi import settings
 from jedi import debug
-from jedi.evaluate.utils import ignored
 
 
 def _abs_path(module_context, path):
@@ -160,17 +160,6 @@ def _get_paths_from_buildout_script(evaluator, buildout_script_path):
         yield path
 
 
-def traverse_parents(path, include_current=False):
-    if not include_current:
-        path = os.path.dirname(path)
-
-    previous = None
-    while previous != path:
-        yield path
-        previous = path
-        path = os.path.dirname(path)
-
-
 def _get_parent_dir_with_file(path, filename):
     for parent in traverse_parents(path):
         if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(parent, filename)):