diff --git a/python/lancedb/common.py b/python/lancedb/common.py
index 6be2f228..54c7c9e0 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/common.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/common.py
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ from typing import Iterable, List, Union
 import numpy as np
 import pyarrow as pa
 
-from .util import safe_import
+from .util import safe_import_pandas
 
-pd = safe_import("pandas")
+pd = safe_import_pandas()
 
 DATA = Union[List[dict], dict, "pd.DataFrame", pa.Table, Iterable[pa.RecordBatch]]
 VEC = Union[list, np.ndarray, pa.Array, pa.ChunkedArray]
diff --git a/python/lancedb/context.py b/python/lancedb/context.py
index 20484c47..bd7b04c8 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/context.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/context.py
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ import deprecation
 
 from . import __version__
 from .exceptions import MissingColumnError, MissingValueError
-from .util import safe_import
+from .util import safe_import_pandas
 
-pd = safe_import("pandas")
+pd = safe_import_pandas()
 
 
 def contextualize(raw_df: "pd.DataFrame") -> Contextualizer:
diff --git a/python/lancedb/embeddings/utils.py b/python/lancedb/embeddings/utils.py
index 4708dfd7..325145f4 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/embeddings/utils.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/embeddings/utils.py
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ import pyarrow as pa
 from lance.vector import vec_to_table
 from retry import retry
 
-from ..util import safe_import
+from ..util import safe_import_pandas
 from ..utils.general import LOGGER
 
-pd = safe_import("pandas")
+pd = safe_import_pandas()
 
 DATA = Union[pa.Table, "pd.DataFrame"]
 TEXT = Union[str, List[str], pa.Array, pa.ChunkedArray, np.ndarray]
diff --git a/python/lancedb/query.py b/python/lancedb/query.py
index d564e736..ef28eac9 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/query.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/query.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from . import __version__
 from .common import VEC, VECTOR_COLUMN_NAME
 from .rerankers.base import Reranker
 from .rerankers.linear_combination import LinearCombinationReranker
-from .util import safe_import
+from .util import safe_import_pandas
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import PIL
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .pydantic import LanceModel
     from .table import Table
 
-pd = safe_import("pandas")
+pd = safe_import_pandas()
 
 
 class Query(pydantic.BaseModel):
diff --git a/python/lancedb/table.py b/python/lancedb/table.py
index a589a298..5bd6db16 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/table.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/table.py
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ from .query import LanceQueryBuilder, Query
 from .util import (
     fs_from_uri,
     join_uri,
-    safe_import,
+    safe_import_pandas,
+    safe_import_polars,
     value_to_sql,
 )
 
@@ -47,8 +48,8 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .db import LanceDBConnection
 
 
-pd = safe_import("pandas")
-pl = safe_import("polars")
+pd = safe_import_pandas()
+pl = safe_import_polars()
 
 
 def _sanitize_data(
diff --git a/python/lancedb/util.py b/python/lancedb/util.py
index 02f37095..7eb80ea8 100644
--- a/python/lancedb/util.py
+++ b/python/lancedb/util.py
@@ -134,6 +134,24 @@ def safe_import(module: str, mitigation=None):
         raise ImportError(f"Please install {mitigation or module}")
 
 
+def safe_import_pandas():
+    try:
+        import pandas as pd
+
+        return pd
+    except ImportError:
+        return None
+
+
+def safe_import_polars():
+    try:
+        import polars as pl
+
+        return pl
+    except ImportError:
+        return None
+
+
 @singledispatch
 def value_to_sql(value):
     raise NotImplementedError("SQL conversion is not implemented for this type")