diff --git a/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/test_servers.py b/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/test_servers.py
index 2bbe55e1d552..a1c41c858f70 100644
--- a/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/test_servers.py
+++ b/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/test_servers.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 import base64
 import time
 
+import six
+
 from nova.api.openstack import api_version_request as avr
 from nova.tests.functional.api_sample_tests import api_sample_base
 from nova.tests.unit.api.openstack import fakes
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ class ServersSampleBase(api_sample_base.ApiSampleTestBaseV21):
     microversion = None
     sample_dir = 'servers'
 
-    user_data_contents = '#!/bin/bash\n/bin/su\necho "I am in you!"\n'
+    user_data_contents = six.b('#!/bin/bash\n/bin/su\necho "I am in you!"\n')
     user_data = base64.b64encode(user_data_contents)
 
     common_req_names = [
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index cc694e1e8d97..e709b4d0db46 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ commands =
   bash -c '! find doc/ -type f -name *.json | xargs -t -n1 python -m json.tool 2>&1 > /dev/null | grep -B1 -v ^python'
 
 [testenv:functional]
-# TODO(melwitt): This can be removed when functional tests can be run
-# with python 3.x
+# TODO(melwitt): This can be removed when functional tests are gating with
+# python 3.x
 basepython = python2.7
 usedevelop = True
 setenv = VIRTUAL_ENV={envdir}