diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index b93086f..33b10e1 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ source_suffix = '.rst'
 master_doc = 'index'
 
 # General information about the project.
-copyright = u'2014, OpenStack Foundation'
+copyright = '2014, OpenStack Foundation'
 
 # If true, '()' will be appended to :func: etc. cross-reference text.
 add_function_parentheses = True
diff --git a/oslo_privsep/tests/test_comm.py b/oslo_privsep/tests/test_comm.py
index 3978bff..9d47440 100644
--- a/oslo_privsep/tests/test_comm.py
+++ b/oslo_privsep/tests/test_comm.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class TestSerialization(base.BaseTestCase):
         self.assertSendable(data)
 
     def test_unicode(self):
-        data = u'\u4e09\u9df9\udc82'
+        data = '\u4e09\u9df9\udc82'
         self.assertSendable(data)
 
     def test_tuple(self):
diff --git a/oslo_privsep/tests/test_daemon.py b/oslo_privsep/tests/test_daemon.py
index 5a5b51e..e7e20b8 100644
--- a/oslo_privsep/tests/test_daemon.py
+++ b/oslo_privsep/tests/test_daemon.py
@@ -95,15 +95,15 @@ class LogTest(testctx.TestContextTestCase):
             level=logging.INFO))
 
         # These write to the log on the priv side
-        logme(logging.DEBUG, u'test@DEBUG')
-        logme(logging.WARN, u'test@WARN')
+        logme(logging.DEBUG, 'test@DEBUG')
+        logme(logging.WARN, 'test@WARN')
 
         time.sleep(0.1)  # Hack to give logging thread a chance to run
 
         # logger.output is the resulting log on the unpriv side.
         # This should have been filtered based on (unpriv) loglevel.
-        self.assertNotIn(u'test@DEBUG', logger.output)
-        self.assertIn(u'test@WARN', logger.output)
+        self.assertNotIn('test@DEBUG', logger.output)
+        self.assertIn('test@WARN', logger.output)
 
     def test_record_data(self):
         logs = []
@@ -114,19 +114,19 @@ class LogTest(testctx.TestContextTestCase):
             # class/function, not an instance :(
             formatter=functools.partial(LogRecorder, logs)))
 
-        logme(logging.WARN, u'test with exc', exc_info=True)
+        logme(logging.WARN, 'test with exc', exc_info=True)
 
         time.sleep(0.1)  # Hack to give logging thread a chance to run
 
         self.assertEqual(1, len(logs))
 
         record = logs[0]
-        self.assertIn(u'test with exc', record.getMessage())
+        self.assertIn('test with exc', record.getMessage())
         self.assertIsNone(record.exc_info)
-        self.assertIn(u'TestException: with arg', record.exc_text)
+        self.assertIn('TestException: with arg', record.exc_text)
         self.assertEqual('PrivContext(cfg_section=privsep)',
                          record.processName)
-        self.assertIn(u'test_daemon.py', record.exc_text)
+        self.assertIn('test_daemon.py', record.exc_text)
         self.assertEqual(logging.WARN, record.levelno)
         self.assertEqual('logme', record.funcName)
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class LogTest(testctx.TestContextTestCase):
             # class/function, not an instance :(
             formatter=functools.partial(LogRecorder, logs)))
 
-        logme(logging.WARN, u'test with exc', exc_info=True)
+        logme(logging.WARN, 'test with exc', exc_info=True)
 
         time.sleep(0.1)  # Hack to give logging thread a chance to run
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/source/conf.py b/releasenotes/source/conf.py
index 1791523..a4ef0c1 100644
--- a/releasenotes/source/conf.py
+++ b/releasenotes/source/conf.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ source_suffix = '.rst'
 master_doc = 'index'
 
 # General information about the project.
-copyright = u'2016, oslo.privsep Developers'
+copyright = '2016, oslo.privsep Developers'
 
 # Release notes do not need a version in the title, they span
 # multiple versions.
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ htmlhelp_basename = 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotesDoc'
 #  author, documentclass [howto, manual, or own class]).
 latex_documents = [
     ('index', 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotes.tex',
-     u'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
-     u'oslo.privsep Developers', 'manual'),
+     'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
+     'oslo.privsep Developers', 'manual'),
 ]
 
 # The name of an image file (relative to this directory) to place at the top of
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ latex_documents = [
 # (source start file, name, description, authors, manual section).
 man_pages = [
     ('index', 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotes',
-     u'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
-     [u'oslo.privsep Developers'], 1)
+     'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
+     ['oslo.privsep Developers'], 1)
 ]
 
 # If true, show URL addresses after external links.
@@ -245,8 +245,8 @@ man_pages = [
 #  dir menu entry, description, category)
 texinfo_documents = [
     ('index', 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotes',
-     u'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
-     u'oslo.privsep Developers', 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotes',
+     'oslo.privsep Release Notes Documentation',
+     'oslo.privsep Developers', 'oslo.privsepReleaseNotes',
      'OpenStack library for privilege separation.',
      'Miscellaneous'),
 ]