diff --git a/IPython/parallel/apps/ipcontrollerapp.py b/IPython/parallel/apps/ipcontrollerapp.py
index 8fc424a..f9fba94 100755
--- a/IPython/parallel/apps/ipcontrollerapp.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/apps/ipcontrollerapp.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ from IPython.parallel.controller.hub import HubFactory
 from IPython.parallel.controller.scheduler import TaskScheduler,launch_scheduler
 from IPython.parallel.controller.sqlitedb import SQLiteDB
 
-from IPython.parallel.util import signal_children, split_url, asbytes, disambiguate_url
+from IPython.parallel.util import signal_children, split_url, disambiguate_url
 
 # conditional import of MongoDB backend class
 
@@ -224,7 +224,9 @@ class IPControllerApp(BaseParallelApplication):
         self.log.info("loading connection info from %s", fname)
         with open(fname) as f:
             cfg = json.loads(f.read())
-        key = c.Session.key = asbytes(cfg['exec_key'])
+        key = cfg['exec_key']
+        # json gives unicode, Session.key wants bytes
+        c.Session.key = key.encode('ascii')
         xport,addr = cfg['url'].split('://')
         c.HubFactory.engine_transport = xport
         ip,ports = addr.split(':')
diff --git a/IPython/parallel/controller/hub.py b/IPython/parallel/controller/hub.py
index ea82988..0868616 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/controller/hub.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/controller/hub.py
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ class Hub(SessionFactory):
             return
         record = init_record(msg)
 
-        record['client_uuid'] = client_id
+        record['client_uuid'] = client_id.decode('ascii')
         record['queue'] = 'task'
         header = msg['header']
         msg_id = header['msg_id']
diff --git a/IPython/parallel/engine/engine.py b/IPython/parallel/engine/engine.py
index 66c60ff..fa0f8d4 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/engine/engine.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/engine/engine.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from IPython.external.ssh import tunnel
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import (
     Instance, Dict, Integer, Type, CFloat, Unicode, CBytes, Bool
 )
-# from IPython.utils.localinterfaces import LOCALHOST
+from IPython.utils import py3compat
 
 from IPython.parallel.controller.heartmonitor import Heart
 from IPython.parallel.factory import RegistrationFactory
@@ -192,12 +192,12 @@ class EngineFactory(RegistrationFactory):
             # # Redirect input streams and set a display hook.
             if self.out_stream_factory:
                 sys.stdout = self.out_stream_factory(self.session, iopub_stream, u'stdout')
-                sys.stdout.topic = 'engine.%i.stdout'%self.id
+                sys.stdout.topic = py3compat.cast_bytes('engine.%i.stdout' % self.id)
                 sys.stderr = self.out_stream_factory(self.session, iopub_stream, u'stderr')
-                sys.stderr.topic = 'engine.%i.stderr'%self.id
+                sys.stderr.topic = py3compat.cast_bytes('engine.%i.stderr' % self.id)
             if self.display_hook_factory:
                 sys.displayhook = self.display_hook_factory(self.session, iopub_stream)
-                sys.displayhook.topic = 'engine.%i.pyout'%self.id
+                sys.displayhook.topic = py3compat.cast_bytes('engine.%i.pyout' % self.id)
 
             self.kernel = Kernel(config=self.config, int_id=self.id, ident=self.ident, session=self.session,
                     control_stream=control_stream, shell_streams=shell_streams, iopub_stream=iopub_stream,
diff --git a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
index 81022d8..c641c9b 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ from StringIO import StringIO
 import zmq
 from nose import SkipTest
 
+from IPython.testing import decorators as dec
+
 from IPython import parallel  as pmod
 from IPython.parallel import error
 from IPython.parallel import AsyncResult, AsyncHubResult, AsyncMapResult
@@ -298,6 +300,7 @@ class TestView(ClusterTestCase):
             self.assertFalse(view.block)
         self.assertTrue(view.block)
     
+    @dec.known_failure_py3
     def test_importer(self):
         view = self.client[-1]
         view.clear(block=True)
@@ -330,7 +333,7 @@ class TestView(ClusterTestCase):
         sys.stdout = sio
         # just 'print a' worst ~99% of the time, but this ensures that
         # the stdout message has arrived when the result is finished:
-        ip.magic_px('import sys,time;print a; sys.stdout.flush();time.sleep(0.2)')
+        ip.magic_px('import sys,time;print (a); sys.stdout.flush();time.sleep(0.2)')
         sys.stdout = savestdout
         buf = sio.getvalue()
         self.assertTrue('[stdout:' in buf, buf)