diff --git a/examples/atari/atari_wrapper.py b/examples/atari/atari_wrapper.py
index f1b3120..6e6c4e5 100644
--- a/examples/atari/atari_wrapper.py
+++ b/examples/atari/atari_wrapper.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Borrow a lot from openai baselines:
 # https://github.com/openai/baselines/blob/master/baselines/common/atari_wrappers.py
-
+import logging
 import warnings
 from collections import deque
 
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@ from tianshou.highlevel.env import (
 )
 from tianshou.highlevel.trainer import EpochStopCallback, TrainingContext
 
+envpool_is_available = True
 try:
     import envpool
 except ImportError:
+    envpool_is_available = False
     envpool = None
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def _parse_reset_result(reset_result):
@@ -343,15 +346,29 @@ def make_atari_env(
 
 
 class AtariEnvFactory(EnvFactoryGymnasium):
-    def __init__(self, task: str, seed: int, frame_stack: int, scale: bool = False):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        task: str,
+        seed: int,
+        frame_stack: int,
+        scale: bool = False,
+        use_envpool_if_available: bool = True,
+    ):
         assert "NoFrameskip" in task
         self.frame_stack = frame_stack
         self.scale = scale
+        envpool_factory = None
+        if use_envpool_if_available:
+            if envpool_is_available:
+                envpool_factory = self.EnvPoolFactory(self)
+                log.info("Using envpool, because it available")
+            else:
+                log.info("Not using envpool, because it is not available")
         super().__init__(
             task=task,
             seed=seed,
             venv_type=VectorEnvType.SUBPROC_SHARED_MEM,
-            envpool_factory=self.EnvPoolFactory(self),
+            envpool_factory=envpool_factory,
         )
 
     def create_env(self, mode: EnvMode) -> Env:
diff --git a/examples/mujoco/mujoco_env.py b/examples/mujoco/mujoco_env.py
index 68a0a12..dd752e9 100644
--- a/examples/mujoco/mujoco_env.py
+++ b/examples/mujoco/mujoco_env.py
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ from tianshou.highlevel.env import (
 from tianshou.highlevel.persistence import Persistence, PersistEvent, RestoreEvent
 from tianshou.highlevel.world import World
 
+envpool_is_available = True
 try:
     import envpool
 except ImportError:
+    envpool_is_available = False
     envpool = None
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ class MujocoEnvFactory(EnvFactoryGymnasium):
             task=task,
             seed=seed,
             venv_type=VectorEnvType.SUBPROC_SHARED_MEM,
-            envpool_factory=EnvPoolFactory(),
+            envpool_factory=EnvPoolFactory() if envpool_is_available else None,
         )
         self.obs_norm = obs_norm
 
diff --git a/tianshou/highlevel/env.py b/tianshou/highlevel/env.py
index 915f9ad..5298c2d 100644
--- a/tianshou/highlevel/env.py
+++ b/tianshou/highlevel/env.py
@@ -295,19 +295,16 @@ class EnvPoolFactory:
         seed: int,
         kwargs: dict,
     ) -> BaseVectorEnv | None:
-        try:
-            import envpool
+        import envpool
 
-            envpool_task = self._transform_task(task)
-            envpool_kwargs = self._transform_kwargs(kwargs, mode)
-            return envpool.make_gymnasium(
-                envpool_task,
-                num_envs=num_envs,
-                seed=seed,
-                **envpool_kwargs,
-            )
-        except ImportError:
-            return None
+        envpool_task = self._transform_task(task)
+        envpool_kwargs = self._transform_kwargs(kwargs, mode)
+        return envpool.make_gymnasium(
+            envpool_task,
+            num_envs=num_envs,
+            seed=seed,
+            **envpool_kwargs,
+        )
 
 
 class EnvFactory(ToStringMixin, ABC):
@@ -364,9 +361,8 @@ class EnvFactoryGymnasium(EnvFactory):
     ):
         """:param task: the gymnasium task/environment identifier
         :param seed: the random seed
-        :param venv_type: the type of vectorized environment to use. If `envpool_factory` is specified, this is but a fallback.
-        :param envpool_factory: the factory to use for envpool-based vectorized environment creation if `envpool` is installed.
-            If it is not installed, `venv_type` applies as a fallback.
+        :param venv_type: the type of vectorized environment to use (if `envpool_factory` is not specified)
+        :param envpool_factory: the factory to use for vectorized environment creation based on envpool; envpool must be installed.
         :param render_mode_train: the render mode to use for training environments
         :param render_mode_test: the render mode to use for test environments
         :param render_mode_watch: the render mode to use for environments that are used to watch agent performance
@@ -406,19 +402,14 @@ class EnvFactoryGymnasium(EnvFactory):
 
     def create_venv(self, num_envs: int, mode: EnvMode) -> BaseVectorEnv:
         if self.envpool_factory is not None:
-            venv = self.envpool_factory.create_venv(
+            return self.envpool_factory.create_venv(
                 self.task,
                 num_envs,
                 mode,
                 self.seed,
                 self._create_kwargs(mode),
             )
-            if venv is not None:
-                return venv
-            log.debug(
-                f"EnvPool-based creation could not be applied, falling back to default based on {self.venv_type}",
-            )
-
-        venv = super().create_venv(num_envs, mode)
-        venv.seed(self.seed)
-        return venv
+        else:
+            venv = super().create_venv(num_envs, mode)
+            venv.seed(self.seed)
+            return venv