diff --git a/changelog.d/4073.misc b/changelog.d/4073.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fc304bef06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/4073.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add psutil as an explicit dependency
diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 84f8fe2d9e..803d536ccd 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import sys
 
 from six import iteritems
 
+import psutil
 from prometheus_client import Gauge
 
 from twisted.application import service
@@ -502,7 +503,6 @@ def run(hs):
 
     def performance_stats_init():
         try:
-            import psutil
             process = psutil.Process()
             # Ensure we can fetch both, and make the initial request for cpu_percent
             # so the next request will use this as the initial point.
@@ -510,12 +510,9 @@ def run(hs):
             process.cpu_percent(interval=None)
             logger.info("report_stats can use psutil")
             stats_process.append(process)
-        except (ImportError, AttributeError):
-            logger.warn(
-                "report_stats enabled but psutil is not installed or incorrect version."
-                " Disabling reporting of memory/cpu stats."
-                " Ensuring psutil is available will help matrix.org track performance"
-                " changes across releases."
+        except (AttributeError):
+            logger.warning(
+                "Unable to read memory/cpu stats. Disabling reporting."
             )
 
     def generate_user_daily_visit_stats():
diff --git a/synapse/python_dependencies.py b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
index f51184b50d..943876456b 100644
--- a/synapse/python_dependencies.py
+++ b/synapse/python_dependencies.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ REQUIREMENTS = {
     "pillow>=3.1.2": ["PIL"],
     "pydenticon>=0.2": ["pydenticon"],
     "sortedcontainers>=1.4.4": ["sortedcontainers"],
+    "psutil>=2.0.0": ["psutil>=2.0.0"],
     "pysaml2>=3.0.0": ["saml2"],
     "pymacaroons-pynacl>=0.9.3": ["pymacaroons"],
     "msgpack-python>=0.4.2": ["msgpack"],
@@ -79,9 +80,6 @@ CONDITIONAL_REQUIREMENTS = {
     "matrix-synapse-ldap3": {
         "matrix-synapse-ldap3>=0.1": ["ldap_auth_provider"],
     },
-    "psutil": {
-        "psutil>=2.0.0": ["psutil>=2.0.0"],
-    },
     "postgres": {
         "psycopg2>=2.6": ["psycopg2"]
     }