diff --git a/lib/compass/configuration/adapters.rb b/lib/compass/configuration/adapters.rb
index 9897f321..6a35c91a 100644
--- a/lib/compass/configuration/adapters.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/configuration/adapters.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module Compass
         plugin_opts[:cache_location] = cache_path unless cache_path.nil?
         plugin_opts.merge!(sass_options || {})
         plugin_opts[:load_paths] ||= []
-        plugin_opts[:load_paths] << Compass::Sprites.new
+        plugin_opts[:load_paths] << Compass::SpriteMap.new
         plugin_opts
       end
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ module Compass
           next p if p.respond_to?(:find_relative)
           Sass::Importers::Filesystem.new(p.to_s)
         end
-        load_paths << Compass::Sprites.new
+        load_paths << Compass::SpriteMap.new
         load_paths
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites.rb b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites.rb
index 85765179..12e821ed 100644
--- a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 require 'digest/md5'
-require 'compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprites'
 require 'compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprite_map'
 require 'compass/sass_extensions/sprites/image'
 require 'compass/sass_extensions/sprites/base'
diff --git a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/base.rb b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/base.rb
index 4bdea36b..3051248a 100644
--- a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/base.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/base.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Compass
         # Initialize a new aprite object from a relative file path
         # the path is relative to the <tt>images_path</tt> confguration option
         def self.from_uri(uri, context, kwargs)
-          sprite_map = ::Compass::SpriteMap.new(uri.value, {})
+          sprite_map = ::Compass::SpriteMap.new(:uri => uri.value, :options => {})
           sprites = sprite_map.files.map do |sprite|
             sprite.gsub(Compass.configuration.images_path+"/", "")
           end
diff --git a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprite_map.rb b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprite_map.rb
index 121c4e12..b89b072f 100644
--- a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprite_map.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprite_map.rb
@@ -1,14 +1,63 @@
 module Compass
-  class SpriteMap
-    attr_reader :uri, :options
+  class SpriteMap < Sass::Importers::Base
+    attr_accessor :uri, :options
     VAILD_FILE_NAME = /\A#{Sass::SCSS::RX::IDENT}\Z/
-
-    def find_relative(*args)
-      nil
+    SPRITE_IMPORTER_REGEX = %r{((.+/)?([^\*.]+))/(.+?)\.png}
+    
+    def self.load(uri, options)
+      Compass.quick_cache "Sprite_map:#{uri}#{options.inspect}", 5 do
+        klass = Compass::SpriteMap.new
+        klass.uri, klass.options = uri, options
+        klass
+      end
     end
-
-    def initialize(uri, options)
+    
+    def initialize(options ={})
+      @uri, @options = '', {}
+      options.each do |key, value|
+        send("#{key}=", value)
+      end
+    end
+    
+    def find(uri, options)
       @uri, @options = uri, options
+      if uri =~ SPRITE_IMPORTER_REGEX
+        return sass_engine
+      end
+    end
+    
+    def find_relative(uri, base, options)
+      @uri, @options = uri, options
+      find(File.join(base, uri), options)
+    end
+    
+    def to_s
+      content_for_images
+    end
+    
+    def hash
+      self.class.name.hash
+    end
+	
+    def eql?(other)
+      other.class == self.class
+    end
+    
+
+    
+    def key(uri, options={})
+      @uri, @options = uri, options
+      [self.class.name + ":" + File.dirname(File.expand_path(uri)), File.basename(uri)]
+    end
+    
+    def self.path_and_name(uri)
+      Compass.quick_cache "Sprite_map_name:#{uri}", 5 do
+        if uri =~ SPRITE_IMPORTER_REGEX
+          [$1, $3]
+        else
+          [nil, nil]
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     # Name of this spite
@@ -50,27 +99,8 @@ module Compass
     end
     
     def ensure_path_and_name!
-      @path ||= get_path
-      @name ||= get_name
-    end  
-    
-    def get_name
-      _, name = Compass::Sprites.path_and_name(uri)
-      name
-    end
-    
-    def get_path
-      path, _ = Compass::Sprites.path_and_name(uri)
-      path
-    end
-    
-    def key(uri, options)
-      Compass::Sprites.key(uri)
-    end
-
-    def mtime(uri, options)
-      Compass::Sprites.mtime(uri, options)
-    end
+      @path, @name = self.class.path_and_name(uri)
+    end 
 
     # Generates the Sass for this sprite file
     def content_for_images(skip_overrides = false)
diff --git a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprites.rb b/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprites.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 7431983f..00000000
--- a/lib/compass/sass_extensions/sprites/sprites.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-module Compass
-  class Sprites < Sass::Importers::Base
-    attr_accessor :name, :path
-    
-    def self.path_and_name(uri)
-      if uri =~ %r{((.+/)?([^\*.]+))/(.+?)\.png}
-        [$1, $3]
-      end
-    end
-    
-    def self.discover_sprites(uri)
-      self.load_map(uri, {}).files
-    end
-
-    def self.sprite_name(file)
-      File.basename(file, '.png')
-    end
-  
-    def self.load_map(uri, options)
-      Compass.quick_cache("spritemap:#{uri}", 5) do
-        SpriteMap.new(uri, options)
-      end
-    end
-  
-  
-    # Called by the sass engine to build a new SpriteMap
-    def find(uri, options)
-      if uri =~ /\.png$/
-        map = Compass::Sprites.load_map(uri, options)
-        self.path, self.name = map.path, map.name
-        return map.sass_engine
-      end
-    end
-  
-    # Called by the sass engine to identify the SpriteMap
-    def self.key(uri, options={})
-     [self.class.name + ":" + File.dirname(File.expand_path(uri)), File.basename(uri)]
-    end
-
-    def self.mtime(uri, options)
-      Compass.quick_cache("mtime:#{uri}") do
-        map = Compass::Sprites.load_map(uri, options)
-        map.files.inject(Time.at(0)) do |max_time, file|
-          (t = File.mtime(file)) > max_time ? t : max_time
-        end
-      end
-    end
-  
-    def to_s
-      ""
-    end
-
-    def hash
-      self.class.name.hash
-    end
-
-    def eql?(other)
-      other.class == self.class
-    end
-
-  end
-end
diff --git a/test/units/sprites/base_test.rb b/test/units/sprites/base_test.rb
index e79a11c3..b557bf29 100644
--- a/test/units/sprites/base_test.rb
+++ b/test/units/sprites/base_test.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class SpritesBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
   
   def setup_map
-    @map = Compass::SpriteMap.new("selectors/*.png", @options)
+    @map = Compass::SpriteMap.new(:uri => "selectors/*.png", :options => @options)
     @base = Compass::SassExtensions::Sprites::Base.new(@map.sprite_names.map{|n| "selectors/#{n}.png"}, @map, @map.sass_engine, @map.options)
   end
 
diff --git a/test/units/sprites/image_test.rb b/test/units/sprites/image_test.rb
index 01609932..f5a11a50 100644
--- a/test/units/sprites/image_test.rb
+++ b/test/units/sprites/image_test.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class SpritesImageTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   let(:sprite_name) { File.basename(sprite_filename, '.png') }
   
   def parent
-    map = Compass::SpriteMap.new("selectors/*.png", options)
+    map = Compass::SpriteMap.new(:uri => "selectors/*.png", :options => options)
     @parent ||= Compass::SassExtensions::Sprites::Base.new(map.sprite_names.map{|n| "selectors/#{n}.png"}, map, map.sass_engine, map.options)
   end