diff --git a/rally/exceptions.py b/rally/exceptions.py
index 24cbef9d14..08d52ba9e5 100644
--- a/rally/exceptions.py
+++ b/rally/exceptions.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import sys
 
 from oslo_config import cfg
+import six
 
 from rally.common.i18n import _
 from rally.common import log as logging
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ class RallyException(Exception):
         if self.__class__.__name__.endswith("_Remote"):
             return self.args[0]
         else:
-            return unicode(self)
+            return six.text_type(self)
 
 
 class ImmutableException(RallyException):
diff --git a/tests/hacking/README.rst b/tests/hacking/README.rst
index 233d4c919a..49dd2240a0 100644
--- a/tests/hacking/README.rst
+++ b/tests/hacking/README.rst
@@ -25,4 +25,5 @@ Rally Specific Commandments
 * [N341] - Ensure that we are importing oslo_xyz packages instead of deprecated oslo.xyz ones
 * [N350] - Ensure that single quotes are not used
 * [N351] - Ensure that data structs (i.e Lists and Dicts) are declared literally rather than using constructors
-* [N353] - Ensure that string formatting only uses a mapping if multiple mapping keys are used.
+* [N352] - Ensure that string formatting only uses a mapping if multiple mapping keys are used.
+* [N353] - Ensure that unicode() function is not uset because of absence in py3
diff --git a/tests/hacking/checks.py b/tests/hacking/checks.py
index 04f9c72c56..a413233b1a 100644
--- a/tests/hacking/checks.py
+++ b/tests/hacking/checks.py
@@ -427,6 +427,18 @@ def check_dict_formatting_in_string(logical_line, tokens):
                 current_string = ""
 
 
+@skip_ignored_lines
+def check_using_unicode(logical_line, filename):
+    """Check crosspython unicode usage
+
+    N353
+    """
+
+    if re.search(r"\bunicode\(", logical_line):
+        yield (0, "N353 'unicode' function is absent in python3. Please "
+                  "use 'six.text_type' instead.")
+
+
 def factory(register):
     register(check_assert_methods_from_mock)
     register(check_import_of_logging)
@@ -442,3 +454,4 @@ def factory(register):
     register(check_quotes)
     register(check_no_constructor_data_struct)
     register(check_dict_formatting_in_string)
+    register(check_using_unicode)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_hacking.py b/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
index cc4a12e916..21ea3696cd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
@@ -306,3 +306,15 @@ class HackingTestCase(test.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(
                 [],
                 list(checks.check_dict_formatting_in_string(sample, tokens)))
+
+    def test_check_using_unicode(self):
+
+        checkres = checks.check_using_unicode("text = unicode('sometext')",
+                                              "fakefile")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(next(checkres))
+        self.assertEqual([], list(checkres))
+
+        checkres = checks.check_using_unicode(
+            "text = process(unicode('sometext'))", "fakefile")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(next(checkres))
+        self.assertEqual([], list(checkres))