diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/conftest.py b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/conftest.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/conftest.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/conftest.py
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ def _add_commits_to_repo(repo, commits):
             imc.remove(FileNode(node.path))
 
         tip = imc.commit(
-            message=unicode(commit['message']),
-            author=unicode(commit['author']),
+            message=str(commit['message']),
+            author=str(commit['author']),
             date=commit['date'],
             branch=commit.get('branch'))
     return tip
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_repository.py b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_repository.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_repository.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_repository.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class TestRepositoryBase(BackendTestMixi
     recreate_repo_per_test = False
 
     def test_init_accepts_unicode_path(self, tmpdir):
-        path = unicode(tmpdir.join(u'unicode ä'))
+        path = str(tmpdir.join(u'unicode ä'))
         self.Backend(path, create=True)
 
     def test_init_accepts_str_path(self, tmpdir):
@@ -46,12 +46,12 @@ class TestRepositoryBase(BackendTestMixi
         self.Backend(path, create=True)
 
     def test_init_fails_if_path_does_not_exist(self, tmpdir):
-        path = unicode(tmpdir.join('i-do-not-exist'))
+        path = str(tmpdir.join('i-do-not-exist'))
         with pytest.raises(VCSError):
             self.Backend(path)
 
     def test_init_fails_if_path_is_not_a_valid_repository(self, tmpdir):
-        path = unicode(tmpdir.mkdir(u'unicode ä'))
+        path = str(tmpdir.mkdir(u'unicode ä'))
         with pytest.raises(VCSError):
             self.Backend(path)
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_svn.py b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_svn.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_svn.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/vcs/test_svn.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def test_init_fails_if_path_does_not_exi
 
 
 def test_init_fails_if_path_is_not_a_valid_repository(tmpdir):
-    path = unicode(tmpdir.mkdir(u'unicode ä'))
+    path = str(tmpdir.mkdir('unicode ä'))
     with pytest.raises(VCSError):
         SubversionRepository(path)