diff --git a/heat/common/serializers.py b/heat/common/serializers.py
index a4ce8d7bff..9235f6a9c6 100644
--- a/heat/common/serializers.py
+++ b/heat/common/serializers.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class JSONResponseSerializer(object):
 
     def default(self, response, result):
         response.content_type = 'application/json'
-        response.body = self.to_json(result)
+        response.body = six.b(self.to_json(result))
 
 
 # Escape XML serialization for these keys, as the AWS API defines them as
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_common_serializers.py b/heat/tests/test_common_serializers.py
index 5bbe623bd4..75605a41f1 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_common_serializers.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_common_serializers.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 import collections
 import datetime
 
+from lxml import etree
+from oslo_serialization import jsonutils as json
+import six
 import webob
 
 from heat.common import serializers
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ class JSONResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         ])
         expected = '{"is_public": true, "name": [{"name1": "test"}]}'
         actual = serializers.JSONResponseSerializer().to_json(fixture)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(expected), json.loads(actual))
 
     def test_to_json_with_objects(self):
         fixture = collections.OrderedDict([
@@ -55,7 +58,7 @@ class JSONResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         ])
         expected = '{"is_public": true, "value": "(1+2j)"}'
         actual = serializers.JSONResponseSerializer().to_json(fixture)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(expected), json.loads(actual))
 
     def test_default(self):
         fixture = {"key": "value"}
@@ -66,28 +69,36 @@ class JSONResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
                                     response.headerlist))
         self.assertEqual(1, len(content_types))
         self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
-        self.assertEqual('{"key": "value"}', response.body)
+        self.assertEqual(b'{"key": "value"}', response.body)
 
 
 class XMLResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
 
+    def _recursive_dict(self, element):
+        return element.tag, dict(
+            map(self._recursive_dict, element)) or element.text
+
     def test_to_xml(self):
         fixture = {"key": "value"}
-        expected = '<key>value</key>'
+        expected = b'<key>value</key>'
         actual = serializers.XMLResponseSerializer().to_xml(fixture)
         self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
 
     def test_to_xml_with_date_format_value(self):
         fixture = {"date": datetime.datetime(1, 3, 8, 2)}
-        expected = '<date>0001-03-08 02:00:00</date>'
+        expected = b'<date>0001-03-08 02:00:00</date>'
         actual = serializers.XMLResponseSerializer().to_xml(fixture)
         self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
 
     def test_to_xml_with_list(self):
         fixture = {"name": ["1", "2"]}
-        expected = '<name><member>1</member><member>2</member></name>'
+        expected = b'<name><member>1</member><member>2</member></name>'
         actual = serializers.XMLResponseSerializer().to_xml(fixture)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+        actual_xml_tree = etree.XML(actual)
+        actual_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(actual_xml_tree)
+        expected_xml_tree = etree.XML(expected)
+        expected_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(expected_xml_tree)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_xml_dict, actual_xml_dict)
 
     def test_to_xml_with_more_deep_format(self):
         # Note we expect tree traversal from one root key, which is compatible
@@ -100,11 +111,16 @@ class XMLResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
                 ])])
             ]))
         ])
-        expected = ('<aresponse><is_public>True</is_public>'
-                    '<name><member><name1>test</name1></member></name>'
-                    '</aresponse>')
+        expected = six.b('<aresponse><is_public>True</is_public>'
+                         '<name><member><name1>test</name1></member></name>'
+                         '</aresponse>')
         actual = serializers.XMLResponseSerializer().to_xml(fixture)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+        actual_xml_tree = etree.XML(actual)
+        actual_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(actual_xml_tree)
+        expected_xml_tree = etree.XML(expected)
+        expected_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(expected_xml_tree)
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected_xml_dict, actual_xml_dict)
 
     def test_to_xml_with_json_only_keys(self):
         # Certain keys are excluded from serialization because CFN
@@ -116,11 +132,15 @@ class XMLResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
                 ('Metadata', {"name2": "test2"}),
             ]))
         ])
-        expected = ('<aresponse><is_public>True</is_public>'
-                    '<TemplateBody>{"name1": "test"}</TemplateBody>'
-                    '<Metadata>{"name2": "test2"}</Metadata></aresponse>')
+        expected = six.b('<aresponse><is_public>True</is_public>'
+                         '<TemplateBody>{"name1": "test"}</TemplateBody>'
+                         '<Metadata>{"name2": "test2"}</Metadata></aresponse>')
         actual = serializers.XMLResponseSerializer().to_xml(fixture)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+        actual_xml_tree = etree.XML(actual)
+        actual_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(actual_xml_tree)
+        expected_xml_tree = etree.XML(expected)
+        expected_xml_dict = self._recursive_dict(expected_xml_tree)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_xml_dict, actual_xml_dict)
 
     def test_default(self):
         fixture = {"key": "value"}
@@ -131,4 +151,4 @@ class XMLResponseSerializerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
                                     response.headerlist))
         self.assertEqual(1, len(content_types))
         self.assertEqual('application/xml', response.content_type)
-        self.assertEqual('<key>value</key>', response.body)
+        self.assertEqual(b'<key>value</key>', response.body)
diff --git a/py3-testlist b/py3-testlist
index 13df702e6c..7398163497 100644
--- a/py3-testlist
+++ b/py3-testlist
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ heat.tests.test_cloudwatch
 heat.tests.test_common_context
 heat.tests.test_common_param_utils
 heat.tests.test_common_policy
+heat.tests.test_common_serializers
 heat.tests.test_common_service_utils
 heat.tests.test_constraints
 heat.tests.test_crypt