diff --git a/libbmc/backend.py b/libbmc/backend.py
index 3a51b28..ec784ab 100644
--- a/libbmc/backend.py
+++ b/libbmc/backend.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #                                                                   Phyks
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import os
 import re
 import libbmc.tools as tools
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def deleteId(ident):
     try:
         with open(config.get("folder")+'index.bib', 'r', encoding='utf-8') \
                 as fh:
-            bibtex = BibTexParser(fh.read().decode('utf-8'))
+            bibtex = BibTexParser(fh.read())
         bibtex = bibtex.get_entry_dict()
     except (IOError, TypeError):
         tools.warning("Unable to open index file.")
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def deleteFile(filename):
     try:
         with open(config.get("folder")+'index.bib', 'r', encoding='utf-8') \
                 as fh:
-            bibtex = BibTexParser(fh.read().decode('utf-8'))
+            bibtex = BibTexParser(fh.read())
         bibtex = bibtex.get_entry_dict()
     except (TypeError, IOError):
         tools.warning("Unable to open index file.")
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ def updateArXiv(entry):
 
     last_bibtex = BibTexParser(fetcher.arXiv2Bib(arxiv_id_no_v))
     last_bibtex = last_bibtex.get_entry_dict()
-    last_bibtex = last_bibtex[last_bibtex.keys()[0]]
+    last_bibtex = last_bibtex[list(last_bibtex.keys())[0]]
 
     if last_bibtex['eprint'] not in ids:
         return last_bibtex
diff --git a/libbmc/config.py b/libbmc/config.py
index 8d7f4ce..4ac502c 100644
--- a/libbmc/config.py
+++ b/libbmc/config.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import os
 import errno
 import imp
diff --git a/libbmc/tests/test_backend.py b/libbmc/tests/test_backend.py
index 7e12074..b9e0635 100644
--- a/libbmc/tests/test_backend.py
+++ b/libbmc/tests/test_backend.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 # <del>beer</del> soda in return.
 #                                                                   Phyks
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import unittest
 from libbmc.backend import *
 from bibtexparser.bparser import BibTexParser
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ Lattice},
         year={2013},
 }""" % config.get("folder")
         self.bibtex_article = BibTexParser(self.bibtex_article_string).get_entry_dict()
-        self.bibtex_article = self.bibtex_article[self.bibtex_article.keys()[0]]
+        self.bibtex_article = self.bibtex_article[list(self.bibtex_article.keys())[0]]
 
         self.bibtex_book_string = """
 @book{9780521846516,
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ Lattice},
 }
 """
         self.bibtex_book = BibTexParser(self.bibtex_book_string).get_entry_dict()
-        self.bibtex_book = self.bibtex_book[self.bibtex_book.keys()[0]]
+        self.bibtex_book = self.bibtex_book[list(self.bibtex_book.keys())[0]]
 
     def test_getNewName_article(self):
         self.assertEqual(getNewName("test.pdf", self.bibtex_article),
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ Lattice},
         open(config.get("folder")+'test.pdf', 'w').close()
         deleteId(self.bibtex_article['id'])
         with open(config.get("folder")+'index.bib', 'r') as fh:
-            self.assertEquals(fh.read().strip(), "")
+            self.assertEqual(fh.read().strip(), "")
         self.assertFalse(os.path.isfile(config.get("folder")+'test.pdf'))
 
     def test_deleteFile(self):
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ Lattice},
         open(config.get("folder")+'test.pdf', 'w').close()
         deleteFile(self.bibtex_article['file'])
         with open(config.get("folder")+'index.bib', 'r') as fh:
-            self.assertEquals(fh.read().strip(), "")
+            self.assertEqual(fh.read().strip(), "")
         self.assertFalse(os.path.isfile(config.get("folder")+'test.pdf'))
 
     def test_diffFilesIndex(self):
diff --git a/libbmc/tests/test_config.py b/libbmc/tests/test_config.py
index dda96d2..b14386c 100644
--- a/libbmc/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/libbmc/tests/test_config.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 # <del>beer</del> soda in return.
 #                                                                   Phyks
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import unittest
 import json
 import os
diff --git a/libbmc/tests/test_tools.py b/libbmc/tests/test_tools.py
index 752ed39..20023cc 100644
--- a/libbmc/tests/test_tools.py
+++ b/libbmc/tests/test_tools.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 # <del>beer</del> soda in return.
 #                                                                   Phyks
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import unittest
 from libbmc.tools import *
diff --git a/libbmc/tools.py b/libbmc/tools.py
index e735c26..68cd012 100644
--- a/libbmc/tools.py
+++ b/libbmc/tools.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-from __future__ import print_function
+from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 import os
 import re
 import sys
@@ -72,8 +72,7 @@ def rawInput(string):
 
 def warning(*objs):
     """Write warnings to stderr"""
-    printed = [i.encode('utf-8') for i in objs]
-    print("WARNING: ", *printed, file=sys.stderr)
+    print("WARNING: ", *objs, file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 def listDir(path):