diff --git a/heat/common/exception.py b/heat/common/exception.py
index 36402b5e0e..5bb97d56a2 100644
--- a/heat/common/exception.py
+++ b/heat/common/exception.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ def wrap_exception(notifier=None, publisher_id=None, event_type=None,
     return inner
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class HeatException(Exception):
     """Base Heat Exception
 
@@ -121,9 +122,6 @@ class HeatException(Exception):
                 raise_(exc_info[0], exc_info[1], exc_info[2])
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return six.text_type(self.message).encode('UTF-8')
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
         return six.text_type(self.message)
 
     def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
diff --git a/heat/engine/dependencies.py b/heat/engine/dependencies.py
index f7fb7cafe9..3efb37df0f 100644
--- a/heat/engine/dependencies.py
+++ b/heat/engine/dependencies.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class CircularDependencyException(exception.HeatException):
     msg_fmt = _("Circular Dependency Found: %(cycle)s")
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Node(object):
     '''A node in a dependency graph.'''
 
@@ -94,18 +95,14 @@ class Node(object):
     def __str__(self):
         '''Return a human-readable string representation of the node.'''
         text = '{%s}' % ', '.join(str(n) for n in self)
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
-        '''Return a human-readable string representation of the node.'''
-        text = '{%s}' % ', '.join(six.text_type(n) for n in self)
-        return encodeutils.safe_decode(text)
+        return six.text_type(text)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         '''Return a string representation of the node.'''
         return repr(self.require)
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Graph(collections.defaultdict):
     '''A mutable mapping of objects to nodes in a dependency graph.'''
 
@@ -153,14 +150,7 @@ class Graph(collections.defaultdict):
         '''Convert the graph to a human-readable string.'''
         pairs = ('%s: %s' % (str(k), str(v)) for k, v in six.iteritems(self))
         text = '{%s}' % ', '.join(pairs)
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
-        '''Convert the graph to a human-readable string.'''
-        pairs = ('%s: %s' % (six.text_type(k), six.text_type(v))
-                 for k, v in six.iteritems(self))
-        text = '{%s}' % ', '.join(pairs)
-        return encodeutils.safe_decode(text)
+        return six.text_type(text)
 
     @staticmethod
     def toposort(graph):
@@ -181,6 +171,7 @@ class Graph(collections.defaultdict):
                 raise CircularDependencyException(cycle=six.text_type(graph))
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Dependencies(object):
     '''Helper class for calculating a dependency graph.'''
 
@@ -280,12 +271,6 @@ class Dependencies(object):
         return type(self)(tuple(map(transform_key, e)) for e in edges)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        '''
-        Return a human-readable string representation of the dependency graph
-        '''
-        return str(self._graph)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
         '''
         Return a human-readable string representation of the dependency graph
         '''
diff --git a/heat/engine/environment.py b/heat/engine/environment.py
index 5cf6f894b3..345b8f67f3 100644
--- a/heat/engine/environment.py
+++ b/heat/engine/environment.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import warnings
 
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log
-from oslo_utils import encodeutils
 import six
 
 from heat.common import environment_format as env_fmt
@@ -266,7 +265,7 @@ class ResourceRegistry(object):
         if isinstance(info, ClassResourceInfo):
             if info.value.support_status.status != support.SUPPORTED:
                 if info.value.support_status.message is not None:
-                    warnings.warn(encodeutils.safe_encode(
+                    warnings.warn(six.text_type(
                         info.value.support_status.message))
 
         info.user_resource = (self.global_registry is not None)
diff --git a/heat/engine/parameters.py b/heat/engine/parameters.py
index 5ed37bfa31..4f91bea4da 100644
--- a/heat/engine/parameters.py
+++ b/heat/engine/parameters.py
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ class Schema(constr.Schema):
             return super(Schema, self).__getitem__(key)
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Parameter(object):
     '''A template parameter.'''
 
@@ -283,9 +284,9 @@ class Parameter(object):
         '''Return a string representation of the parameter.'''
         value = self.value()
         if self.hidden():
-            return '******'
+            return six.text_type('******')
         else:
-            return encodeutils.safe_encode(six.text_type(value))
+            return six.text_type(value)
 
 
 class NumberParam(Parameter):
diff --git a/heat/engine/resource.py b/heat/engine/resource.py
index 09b7332d1a..92dda53ac4 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resource.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resource.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import weakref
 
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log as logging
-from oslo_utils import encodeutils
 from oslo_utils import excutils
 import six
 
@@ -93,6 +92,7 @@ class UpdateInProgress(Exception):
         super(Exception, self).__init__(six.text_type(msg))
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Resource(object):
     ACTIONS = (
         INIT, CREATE, DELETE, UPDATE, ROLLBACK,
@@ -461,18 +461,6 @@ class Resource(object):
         return dict((k, after_props.get(k)) for k in changed_properties_set)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        if self.stack.id:
-            if self.resource_id:
-                text = '%s "%s" [%s] %s' % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name,
-                                            self.resource_id, str(self.stack))
-            else:
-                text = '%s "%s" %s' % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name,
-                                       str(self.stack))
-        else:
-            text = '%s "%s"' % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name)
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
         if self.stack.id:
             if self.resource_id:
                 text = '%s "%s" [%s] %s' % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name,
@@ -483,7 +471,7 @@ class Resource(object):
                                        six.text_type(self.stack))
         else:
             text = '%s "%s"' % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name)
-        return encodeutils.safe_decode(text)
+        return six.text_type(text)
 
     def dep_attrs(self, resource_name):
         return self.t.dep_attrs(resource_name)
diff --git a/heat/engine/scheduler.py b/heat/engine/scheduler.py
index f9bb0f657b..225b04d12c 100644
--- a/heat/engine/scheduler.py
+++ b/heat/engine/scheduler.py
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ class TimedCancel(Timeout):
         return False
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class ExceptionGroup(Exception):
     '''
     Container for multiple exceptions.
@@ -137,13 +138,10 @@ class ExceptionGroup(Exception):
         self.exceptions = list(exceptions)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return six.text_type([six.text_type(ex).encode('utf-8')
-                              for ex in self.exceptions]).encode('utf-8')
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
-        return six.text_type(map(six.text_type, self.exceptions))
+        return six.text_type([six.text_type(ex) for ex in self.exceptions])
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class TaskRunner(object):
     """
     Wrapper for a resumable task (co-routine).
@@ -170,12 +168,7 @@ class TaskRunner(object):
     def __str__(self):
         """Return a human-readable string representation of the task."""
         text = 'Task %s' % self.name
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
-        """Return a human-readable string representation of the task."""
-        text = 'Task %s' % self.name
-        return encodeutils.safe_decode(text)
+        return six.text_type(text)
 
     def _sleep(self, wait_time):
         """Sleep for the specified number of seconds."""
diff --git a/heat/engine/stack.py b/heat/engine/stack.py
index 9cbca3b185..1838405b44 100755
--- a/heat/engine/stack.py
+++ b/heat/engine/stack.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class ForcedCancel(BaseException):
         return "Operation cancelled"
 
 
+@six.python_2_unicode_compatible
 class Stack(collections.Mapping):
 
     ACTIONS = (
@@ -556,12 +557,7 @@ class Stack(collections.Mapping):
     def __str__(self):
         '''Return a human-readable string representation of the stack.'''
         text = 'Stack "%s" [%s]' % (self.name, self.id)
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
-
-    def __unicode__(self):
-        '''Return a human-readable string representation of the stack.'''
-        text = 'Stack "%s" [%s]' % (self.name, self.id)
-        return encodeutils.safe_encode(text)
+        return six.text_type(text)
 
     def resource_by_refid(self, refid):
         '''
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_scheduler.py b/heat/tests/test_scheduler.py
index c291c19edf..fe92957d04 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_scheduler.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_scheduler.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class ExceptionGroupTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         ex2 = Exception("ex 2")
 
         exception_group = scheduler.ExceptionGroup([ex1, ex2])
-        self.assertEqual("['ex 1', 'ex 2']", str(exception_group))
+        self.assertEqual("[u'ex 1', u'ex 2']", str(exception_group))
 
 
 class DependencyTaskGroupTest(common.HeatTestCase):