diff --git a/test/test_download.py b/test/test_download.py
index b2615f338c..a009aa4754 100644
--- a/test/test_download.py
+++ b/test/test_download.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def generator(test_case):
             return
         for other_ie in other_ies:
             if not other_ie.working():
-                print_skipping(u'test depends on %sIE, marked as not WORKING' % other_ie.ie_key())
+                print_skipping('test depends on %sIE, marked as not WORKING' % other_ie.ie_key())
                 return
 
         params = get_params(test_case.get('params', {}))
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ def generator(test_case):
                         raise
 
                     if try_num == RETRIES:
-                        report_warning(u'Failed due to network errors, skipping...')
+                        report_warning('Failed due to network errors, skipping...')
                         return
 
                     print('Retrying: {0} failed tries\n\n##########\n\n'.format(try_num))
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index 9dc879e0de..baa3a21565 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ class TestUtil(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(find('media:song/url').text, 'http://server.com/download.mp3')
 
     def test_smuggle_url(self):
-        data = {u"ö": u"ö", u"abc": [3]}
+        data = {"ö": "ö", "abc": [3]}
         url = 'https://foo.bar/baz?x=y#a'
         smug_url = smuggle_url(url, data)
         unsmug_url, unsmug_data = unsmuggle_url(smug_url)