diff --git a/kallithea/lib/annotate.py b/kallithea/lib/annotate.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/annotate.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/annotate.py
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ Original author and date, and relevant c
 :license: GPLv3, see LICENSE.md for more details.
 """
 
-import StringIO
-
 from pygments import highlight
 from pygments.formatters import HtmlFormatter
 
@@ -111,12 +109,12 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
             return ''.join((changeset.id, '\n'))
 
     def _wrap_tablelinenos(self, inner):
-        dummyoutfile = StringIO.StringIO()
+        inner_lines = []
         lncount = 0
         for t, line in inner:
             if t:
                 lncount += 1
-            dummyoutfile.write(line)
+            inner_lines.append(line)
 
         fl = self.linenostart
         mw = len(str(lncount + fl - 1))
@@ -176,7 +174,7 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
                   '<tr><td class="linenos"><div class="linenodiv"><pre>' +
                   ls + '</pre></div></td>' +
                   '<td class="code">')
-        yield 0, dummyoutfile.getvalue()
+        yield 0, ''.join(inner_lines)
         yield 0, '</td></tr></table>'
 
         '''
@@ -204,5 +202,5 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
                   ''.join(headers_row) +
                   ''.join(body_row_start)
                   )
-        yield 0, dummyoutfile.getvalue()
+        yield 0, ''.join(inner_lines)
         yield 0, '</td></tr></table>'
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/helpers.py b/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import json
 import logging
 import random
 import re
-import StringIO
 import textwrap
 import urlparse
 
@@ -246,12 +245,12 @@ class CodeHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatter):
             yield i, t
 
     def _wrap_tablelinenos(self, inner):
-        dummyoutfile = StringIO.StringIO()
+        inner_lines = []
         lncount = 0
         for t, line in inner:
             if t:
                 lncount += 1
-            dummyoutfile.write(line)
+            inner_lines.append(line)
 
         fl = self.linenostart
         mw = len(str(lncount + fl - 1))
@@ -304,7 +303,7 @@ class CodeHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatter):
                       '<tr><td class="linenos"><div class="linenodiv">'
                       '<pre>' + ls + '</pre></div></td>'
                       '<td id="hlcode" class="code">')
-        yield 0, dummyoutfile.getvalue()
+        yield 0, ''.join(inner_lines)
         yield 0, '</td></tr></table>'
 
 
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/annotate.py b/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/annotate.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/annotate.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/annotate.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import StringIO
-
 from pygments import highlight
 from pygments.formatters import HtmlFormatter
 
@@ -83,12 +81,12 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
             return ''.join((changeset.id, '\n'))
 
     def _wrap_tablelinenos(self, inner):
-        dummyoutfile = StringIO.StringIO()
+        inner_lines = []
         lncount = 0
         for t, line in inner:
             if t:
                 lncount += 1
-            dummyoutfile.write(line)
+            inner_lines.append(line)
 
         fl = self.linenostart
         mw = len(str(lncount + fl - 1))
@@ -147,7 +145,7 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
                   '<tr><td class="linenos"><div class="linenodiv"><pre>' +
                   ls + '</pre></div></td>' +
                   '<td class="code">')
-        yield 0, dummyoutfile.getvalue()
+        yield 0, ''.join(inner_lines)
         yield 0, '</td></tr></table>'
 
         '''
@@ -175,5 +173,5 @@ class AnnotateHtmlFormatter(HtmlFormatte
                   ''.join(headers_row) +
                   ''.join(body_row_start)
                   )
-        yield 0, dummyoutfile.getvalue()
+        yield 0, ''.join(inner_lines)
         yield 0, '</td></tr></table>'
diff --git a/kallithea/model/scm.py b/kallithea/model/scm.py
--- a/kallithea/model/scm.py
+++ b/kallithea/model/scm.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ Original author and date, and relevant c
 :license: GPLv3, see LICENSE.md for more details.
 """
 
-import cStringIO
 import logging
 import os
 import posixpath
@@ -485,12 +484,8 @@ class ScmModel(object):
             # in any other case this will throw exceptions and deny commit
             if isinstance(content, (basestring,)):
                 content = safe_str(content)
-            elif isinstance(content, (file, cStringIO.OutputType,)):
+            else:
                 content = content.read()
-            else:
-                raise Exception('Content is of unrecognized type %s' % (
-                    type(content)
-                ))
             processed_nodes.append((f_path, content))
 
         message = safe_unicode(message)
diff --git a/kallithea/tests/vcs/test_archives.py b/kallithea/tests/vcs/test_archives.py
--- a/kallithea/tests/vcs/test_archives.py
+++ b/kallithea/tests/vcs/test_archives.py
@@ -37,9 +37,8 @@ class ArchivesTestCaseMixin(_BackendTest
 
         for x in xrange(5):
             node_path = '%d/file_%d.txt' % (x, x)
-            decompressed = StringIO.StringIO()
-            decompressed.write(out.read('repo/' + node_path))
-            assert decompressed.getvalue() == self.tip.get_node(node_path).content
+            decompressed = out.read('repo/' + node_path)
+            assert decompressed == self.tip.get_node(node_path).content
 
     def test_archive_tgz(self):
         path = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=TESTS_TMP_PATH, prefix='test_archive_tgz-')[1]