diff --git a/vcsserver/lib/statsd_client.py b/vcsserver/lib/statsd_client.py
--- a/vcsserver/lib/statsd_client.py
+++ b/vcsserver/lib/statsd_client.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class StatsdClientClass(Singleton):
     setup_run = False
     statsd_client = None
     statsd = None
+    strict_mode_init = False
 
     def __getattribute__(self, name):
 
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ class StatsdClientClass(Singleton):
             if self.setup_run:
                 return super(StatsdClientClass, self).__getattribute__(name)
             else:
+                if self.strict_mode_init:
+                    raise StatsdClientNotInitialised(f"requested key was {name}")
                 return None
-                #raise StatsdClientNotInitialised("requested key was %s" % name)
 
         return super(StatsdClientClass, self).__getattribute__(name)
 
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ class StatsdClientClass(Singleton):
         """
         Initialize the client
         """
+        strict_init_mode = settings.pop('statsd_strict_init', False)
+
         statsd = client_from_config(settings)
         self.statsd = statsd
         self.statsd_client = statsd
diff --git a/vcsserver/lib/svnremoterepo.py b/vcsserver/lib/svnremoterepo.py
--- a/vcsserver/lib/svnremoterepo.py
+++ b/vcsserver/lib/svnremoterepo.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def _create_auth_baton(pool):
         'svn_auth_get_ssl_client_cert_file_provider',
         'svn_auth_get_windows_simple_provider',
         'svn_auth_get_windows_ssl_server_trust_provider',
-     ]
+    ]
 
     providers = []
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def _create_auth_baton(pool):
         client.get_ssl_client_cert_file_provider(),
         client.get_ssl_client_cert_pw_file_provider(),
         client.get_ssl_server_trust_file_provider(),
-        ]
+    ]
 
     return core.svn_auth_open(providers, pool)
 
diff --git a/vcsserver/remote/git.py b/vcsserver/remote/git.py
--- a/vcsserver/remote/git.py
+++ b/vcsserver/remote/git.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ from dulwich.repo import Repo as Dulwich
 from dulwich.server import update_server_info
 
 from vcsserver import exceptions, settings, subprocessio
-from vcsserver.str_utils import safe_str, safe_int
+from vcsserver.str_utils import safe_str, safe_int, safe_bytes
 from vcsserver.base import RepoFactory, obfuscate_qs, ArchiveNode, archive_repo
 from vcsserver.hgcompat import (
     hg_url as url_parser, httpbasicauthhandler, httpdigestauthhandler)
@@ -824,12 +824,12 @@ class GitRemote(RemoteBase):
 
     @reraise_safe_exceptions
     def init(self, wire):
-        repo_path = str_to_dulwich(wire['path'])
+        repo_path = safe_str(wire['path'])
         self.repo = Repo.init(repo_path)
 
     @reraise_safe_exceptions
     def init_bare(self, wire):
-        repo_path = str_to_dulwich(wire['path'])
+        repo_path = safe_str(wire['path'])
         self.repo = Repo.init_bare(repo_path)
 
     @reraise_safe_exceptions
diff --git a/vcsserver/tests/test_subprocessio.py b/vcsserver/tests/test_subprocessio.py
--- a/vcsserver/tests/test_subprocessio.py
+++ b/vcsserver/tests/test_subprocessio.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class FileLikeObj(object):  # pragma: no
 def environ():
     """Delete coverage variables, as they make the tests fail."""
     env = dict(os.environ)
-    for key in env.keys():
+    for key in list(env.keys()):
         if key.startswith('COV_CORE_'):
             del env[key]
 
diff --git a/vcsserver/tests/test_wsgi_app_caller.py b/vcsserver/tests/test_wsgi_app_caller.py
--- a/vcsserver/tests/test_wsgi_app_caller.py
+++ b/vcsserver/tests/test_wsgi_app_caller.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def demo_app(environ, start_response):
     input_data = safe_str(environ['wsgi.input'].read(1024))
 
     data = [
-        f'Hello World!\n',
+        'Hello World!\n',
         f'input_data={input_data}\n',
     ]
     for key, value in sorted(environ.items()):