diff --git a/timm/models/_prune.py b/timm/models/_prune.py
index 4e744dec..9bbe71ec 100644
--- a/timm/models/_prune.py
+++ b/timm/models/_prune.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import pkgutil
 from copy import deepcopy
 
 from torch import nn as nn
@@ -108,6 +109,5 @@ def adapt_model_from_string(parent_module, model_string):
 
 
 def adapt_model_from_file(parent_module, model_variant):
-    adapt_file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '_pruned', model_variant + '.txt')
-    with open(adapt_file, 'r') as f:
-        return adapt_model_from_string(parent_module, f.read().strip())
+    adapt_data = pkgutil.get_data(__name__, os.path.join('_pruned', model_variant + '.txt'))
+    return adapt_model_from_string(parent_module, adapt_data.decode('utf-8').strip())