diff --git a/heat/tests/__init__.py b/heat/tests/__init__.py
index 2a4c3f68e..a71838bbe 100644
--- a/heat/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/heat/tests/__init__.py
@@ -13,5 +13,16 @@
 
 # See http://code.google.com/p/python-nose/issues/detail?id=373
 # The code below enables nosetests to work with i18n _() blocks
-import __builtin__
-setattr(__builtin__, '_', lambda x: x)
+from heat.openstack.common import gettextutils
+
+
+def fake_translate_msgid(msgid, domain, desired_locale=None):
+    return msgid
+
+gettextutils.enable_lazy()
+gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=True)
+
+#To ensure messages don't really get translated while running tests.
+#As there are lots of places where matching is expected when comparing
+#exception message(translated) with raw message.
+gettextutils._translate_msgid = fake_translate_msgid
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_resource.py b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
index af93ab2dd..8f35c6946 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_resource.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import json
 import uuid
 
 import mock
+import six
 
 from heat.common import exception
 import heat.db.api as db_api
@@ -522,7 +523,7 @@ class ResourceTest(HeatTestCase):
         updater = scheduler.TaskRunner(res.update, utmpl)
         ex = self.assertRaises(resource.UpdateReplace, updater)
         self.assertEqual('The Resource test_resource requires replacement.',
-                         str(ex))
+                         six.text_type(ex))
         self.m.VerifyAll()
 
     def test_update_replace_without_resource_name(self):
@@ -544,7 +545,7 @@ class ResourceTest(HeatTestCase):
         updater = scheduler.TaskRunner(res.update, utmpl)
         ex = self.assertRaises(resource.UpdateReplace, updater)
         self.assertEqual('The Resource Unknown requires replacement.',
-                         str(ex))
+                         six.text_type(ex))
         self.m.VerifyAll()
 
     def test_update_fail_missing_req_prop(self):