diff --git a/pip/util.py b/pip/util.py
index 79f79243e..af86fe924 100644
--- a/pip/util.py
+++ b/pip/util.py
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ import zipfile
 
 from pip.exceptions import InstallationError, BadCommand
 from pip.backwardcompat import(
-    WindowsError, string_types, raw_input, console_to_str,
-    PermissionError, stdlib_pkgs
+    string_types, raw_input, console_to_str, stdlib_pkgs
 )
 from pip.locations import (
     site_packages, user_site, running_under_virtualenv, virtualenv_no_global,
@@ -52,19 +51,15 @@ def rmtree_errorhandler(func, path, exc_info):
     """On Windows, the files in .svn are read-only, so when rmtree() tries to
     remove them, an exception is thrown.  We catch that here, remove the
     read-only attribute, and hopefully continue without problems."""
-    exctype, value = exc_info[:2]
-    if not ((exctype is WindowsError and value.args[0] == 5) or  # others
-            (exctype is OSError and value.args[0] == 13) or  # python2.4
-            (exctype is PermissionError and value.args[3] == 5)  # python3.3
-            ):
+    # if file type currently read only
+    if os.stat(path).st_mode & stat.S_IREAD:
+        # convert to read/write
+        os.chmod(path, stat.S_IWRITE)
+        # use the original function to repeat the operation
+        func(path)
+        return
+    else:
         raise
-    # file type should currently be read only
-    if ((os.stat(path).st_mode & stat.S_IREAD) != stat.S_IREAD):
-        raise
-    # convert to read/write
-    os.chmod(path, stat.S_IWRITE)
-    # use the original function to repeat the operation
-    func(path)
 
 
 def display_path(path):