diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/_browsermanagement.py b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/_browsermanagement.py
index d15cd1a2f..c6b9abec0 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/_browsermanagement.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/_browsermanagement.py
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
 
 from .keywordgroup import KeywordGroup
 
+try:
+    unicode
+except NameError:
+    unicode = str
 
 ROOT_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
 FIREFOX_PROFILE_DIR = os.path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'resources', 'firefoxprofile')
diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py b/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
index f43c24c57..52a5681a8 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 from .browsercache import BrowserCache
 from .librarylistener import LibraryListener
 
+try:
+    unicode
+except NameError:
+    unicode = str
+
 
 def escape_xpath_value(value):
     value = unicode(value)
diff --git a/test/unit/keywords/test_browsermanagement.py b/test/unit/keywords/test_browsermanagement.py
index d485fb51a..84dc7997d 100644
--- a/test/unit/keywords/test_browsermanagement.py
+++ b/test/unit/keywords/test_browsermanagement.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def test_bad_browser_name(self):
             bm._make_browser("fireox")
             self.fail("Exception not raised")
         except ValueError as e:
-            self.assertEquals("fireox is not a supported browser.", e.message)
+            self.assertEquals("fireox is not a supported browser.", "{}".format(e))
 
     def test_create_webdriver(self):
         bm = _BrowserManagementWithLoggingStubs()
diff --git a/test/unit/locators/test_windowmanager.py b/test/unit/locators/test_windowmanager.py
index a2b4c039d..5e29f59ca 100644
--- a/test/unit/locators/test_windowmanager.py
+++ b/test/unit/locators/test_windowmanager.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def test_select_with_invalid_prefix(self):
         try:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, manager.select, browser, "something=test1")
         except ValueError as e:
-            self.assertEqual(e.message, "Window locator with prefix 'something' is not supported")
+            self.assertEqual("{}".format(e), "Window locator with prefix 'something' is not supported")
 
     def test_select_with_null_browser(self):
         manager = WindowManager()
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def test_select_by_title_no_match(self):
         try:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, manager.select, browser, "title=Title -1")
         except ValueError as e:
-            self.assertEqual(e.message, "Unable to locate window with title 'Title -1'")
+            self.assertEqual("{}".format(e), "Unable to locate window with title 'Title -1'")
 
     def test_select_by_name(self):
         manager = WindowManager()
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_select_by_name_no_match(self):
         try:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, manager.select, browser, "name=win-1")
         except ValueError as e:
-            self.assertEqual(e.message, "Unable to locate window with name 'win-1'")
+            self.assertEqual("{}".format(e), "Unable to locate window with name 'win-1'")
 
     def test_select_by_url(self):
         manager = WindowManager()
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def test_select_by_url_no_match(self):
         try:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, manager.select, browser, "url=http://localhost/page-1.html")
         except ValueError as e:
-            self.assertEqual(e.message, "Unable to locate window with URL 'http://localhost/page-1.html'")
+            self.assertEqual("{}".format(e), "Unable to locate window with URL 'http://localhost/page-1.html'")
 
     def test_select_with_null_locator(self):
         manager = WindowManager()
diff --git a/test/unit/utils/test_browsercache.py b/test/unit/utils/test_browsercache.py
index 1ff596fb1..4de13b148 100644
--- a/test/unit/utils/test_browsercache.py
+++ b/test/unit/utils/test_browsercache.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def test_no_current_message(self):
         try:
             self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, cache.current.anyMember())
         except RuntimeError as e:
-            self.assertEqual(e.message, "No current browser")
+            self.assertEqual("{}".format(e), "No current browser")
 
     def test_browsers_property(self):
         cache = BrowserCache()