diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index 834bf69a..97e76bc1 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ source_suffix = '.rst'
 master_doc = 'index'
 
 # General information about the project.
-project = u'oslo.versionedobjects'
-copyright = u'2014, OpenStack Foundation'
+project = 'oslo.versionedobjects'
+copyright = '2014, OpenStack Foundation'
 source_tree = 'https://opendev.org/openstack/%s' % project
 
 # If true, '()' will be appended to :func: etc. cross-reference text.
@@ -84,6 +84,6 @@ htmlhelp_basename = '%sdoc' % project
 latex_documents = [
     ('index',
      '%s.tex' % project,
-     u'%s Documentation' % project,
-     u'OpenStack Foundation', 'manual'),
+     '%s Documentation' % project,
+     'OpenStack Foundation', 'manual'),
 ]
diff --git a/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_fields.py b/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_fields.py
index 0b2ea9d9..0c92c676 100644
--- a/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class TestUUID(TestField):
             ('da66a411-af0e-4829-9b67-475017ddz152',
                 'da66a411-af0e-4829-9b67-475017ddz152'),
             ('fake_uuid', 'fake_uuid'),
-            (u'fake_uāid', u'fake_uāid'),
+            ('fake_uāid', 'fake_uāid'),
             (b'fake_u\xe1id'.decode('latin_1'),
                 b'fake_u\xe1id'.decode('latin_1')),
             ('1', '1'),
diff --git a/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_objects.py b/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_objects.py
index 0b21f504..961baae8 100644
--- a/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_objects.py
+++ b/oslo_versionedobjects/tests/test_objects.py
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ class _TestObject(object):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, fail)
 
     def test_object_dict_syntax(self):
-        obj = MyObj(foo=123, bar=u'text')
+        obj = MyObj(foo=123, bar='text')
         self.assertEqual(obj['foo'], 123)
         self.assertIn('bar', obj)
         self.assertNotIn('missing', obj)
@@ -858,11 +858,11 @@ class _TestObject(object):
         self.assertEqual(sorted(obj.keys()),
                          ['bar', 'foo'])
         self.assertEqual(sorted(obj.values(), key=str),
-                         [123, u'text'])
+                         [123, 'text'])
         self.assertEqual(sorted(obj.items()),
-                         [('bar', u'text'), ('foo', 123)])
+                         [('bar', 'text'), ('foo', 123)])
         self.assertEqual(dict(obj),
-                         {'foo': 123, 'bar': u'text'})
+                         {'foo': 123, 'bar': 'text'})
 
     def test_non_dict_remotable(self):
         @base.VersionedObjectRegistry.register
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ class _TestObject(object):
         self.assertEqual('MySensitiveObj(data=<?>)', repr(obj2))
 
     def test_obj_repr_unicode(self):
-        obj = MyObj(bar=u'\u0191\u01A1\u01A1')
+        obj = MyObj(bar='\u0191\u01A1\u01A1')
         # verify the unicode string has been encoded as ASCII if on python 2
         self.assertEqual("MyObj(bar='\u0191\u01A1\u01A1',foo=<?>,"
                          "missing=<?>,mutable_default=<?>,readonly=<?>,"
diff --git a/releasenotes/source/conf.py b/releasenotes/source/conf.py
index cdeb821d..c4bd4964 100644
--- a/releasenotes/source/conf.py
+++ b/releasenotes/source/conf.py
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ source_suffix = '.rst'
 master_doc = 'index'
 
 # General information about the project.
-project = u'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes'
-copyright = u'2016, oslo.versionedobjects Developers'
+project = 'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes'
+copyright = '2016, oslo.versionedobjects Developers'
 
 # Release notes do not need a version in the title, they span
 # multiple versions.
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ latex_elements = {
 #  author, documentclass [howto, manual, or own class]).
 latex_documents = [
     ('index', 'oslo.versionedobjectsReleaseNotes.tex',
-     u'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
-     u'oslo.versionedobjects Developers', 'manual'),
+     'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
+     'oslo.versionedobjects Developers', 'manual'),
 ]
 
 # The name of an image file (relative to this directory) to place at the top of
@@ -237,8 +237,8 @@ latex_documents = [
 # (source start file, name, description, authors, manual section).
 man_pages = [
     ('index', 'oslo.versionedobjectsReleaseNotes',
-     u'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
-     [u'oslo.versionedobjects Developers'], 1)
+     'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
+     ['oslo.versionedobjects Developers'], 1)
 ]
 
 # If true, show URL addresses after external links.
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ man_pages = [
 #  dir menu entry, description, category)
 texinfo_documents = [
     ('index', 'oslo.versionedobjectsReleaseNotes',
-     u'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
-     u'oslo.versionedobjects Developers', 'oslo.versionedobjectsReleaseNotes',
+     'oslo.versionedobjects Release Notes Documentation',
+     'oslo.versionedobjects Developers', 'oslo.versionedobjectsReleaseNotes',
      'One line description of project.',
      'Miscellaneous'),
 ]