diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/base.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/base.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/base.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/base.py
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ class BaseRepository(object):
     DEFAULT_CONTACT = u"Unknown"
     DEFAULT_DESCRIPTION = u"unknown"
     EMPTY_COMMIT_ID = '0' * 40
+    COMMIT_ID_PAT = re.compile(r'[0-9a-fA-F]{40}')
 
     path = None
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ class GitRepository(BaseRepository):
         else:
             output, __ = self.run_git_command(
                 ['merge-base', commit_id1, commit_id2])
-            ancestor_id = re.findall(r'[0-9a-fA-F]{40}', output)[0]
+            ancestor_id = self.COMMIT_ID_PAT.findall(output)[0]
 
         log.debug('Found common ancestor with sha: %s', ancestor_id)
 
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ class GitRepository(BaseRepository):
                  '%s..%s' % (commit_id1, commit_id2)])
             commits = [
                 repo1.get_commit(commit_id=commit_id, pre_load=pre_load)
-                for commit_id in re.findall(r'[0-9a-fA-F]{40}', output)]
+                for commit_id in self.COMMIT_ID_PAT.findall(output)]
 
         return commits
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_comment.mako b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_comment.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_comment.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_comment.mako
@@ -171,9 +171,9 @@ data = {
     <tr>
         <td style="padding-right:20px;line-height:20px;">${_('Commit Flow')}:</td>
         <td style="line-height:20px;">
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['source_ref_type'], pull_request.source_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['source_ref_type']}:${pull_request.source_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
             &rarr;
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['target_ref_type'], pull_request.target_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['target_ref_type']}:${pull_request.target_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
         </td>
     </tr>
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_review.mako b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_review.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_review.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_review.mako
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ data = {
     <tr>
         <td style="padding-right:20px;line-height:20px;">${_('Commit Flow')}:</td>
         <td style="line-height:20px;">
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['source_ref_type'], pull_request.source_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['source_ref_type']}:${pull_request.source_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
             &rarr;
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['target_ref_type'], pull_request.target_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['target_ref_type']}:${pull_request.target_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
         </td>
     </tr>
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_update.mako b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_update.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_update.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/email_templates/pull_request_update.mako
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ data = {
     <tr>
         <td style="padding-right:20px;line-height:20px;">${_('Commit Flow')}:</td>
         <td style="line-height:20px;">
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['source_ref_type'], pull_request.source_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['source_ref_type']}:${pull_request.source_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')} ${data['source_repo_url']}
             &rarr;
-            <code>${'{}:{}'.format(data['target_ref_type'], pull_request.target_ref_parts.name)}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
+            <code>${data['target_ref_type']}:${pull_request.target_ref_parts.name}</code> ${_('of')}  ${data['target_repo_url']}
         </td>
     </tr>
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/pullrequests/pullrequest_show.mako b/rhodecode/templates/pullrequests/pullrequest_show.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/pullrequests/pullrequest_show.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/pullrequests/pullrequest_show.mako
@@ -143,9 +143,9 @@
                     ## pull url
                     <li>
                         %if h.is_hg(c.pull_request.source_repo):
-                            <% clone_url = 'hg pull -r {} {}'.format(h.short_id(c.source_ref), c.pull_request.source_repo.clone_url()) %>
+                            <% clone_url = u'hg pull -r {} {}'.format(h.short_id(c.source_ref), c.pull_request.source_repo.clone_url()) %>
                         %elif h.is_git(c.pull_request.source_repo):
-                            <% clone_url = 'git pull {} {}'.format(c.pull_request.source_repo.clone_url(), c.pull_request.source_ref_parts.name) %>
+                            <% clone_url = u'git pull {} {}'.format(c.pull_request.source_repo.clone_url(), c.pull_request.source_ref_parts.name) %>
                         %endif
 
                         <span>${_('Pull changes from source')}</span>: <input type="text" class="input-monospace pr-pullinfo" value="${clone_url}" readonly="readonly">