diff --git a/mopidy/audio/utils.py b/mopidy/audio/utils.py
index 0fcb2978..cb60af89 100644
--- a/mopidy/audio/utils.py
+++ b/mopidy/audio/utils.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import pygst
 pygst.require('0.10')
 import gst  # noqa
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 def calculate_duration(num_samples, sample_rate):
     """Determine duration of samples using GStreamer helper for precise
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ def create_buffer(data, capabilites=None, timestamp=None, duration=None):
     """
     buffer_ = gst.Buffer(data)
     if capabilites:
-        if isinstance(capabilites, basestring):
+        if isinstance(capabilites, compat.string_types):
             capabilites = gst.caps_from_string(capabilites)
         buffer_.set_caps(capabilites)
     if timestamp:
diff --git a/mopidy/config/__init__.py b/mopidy/config/__init__.py
index b9a27eb7..82c30b96 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/config/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import re
 from mopidy.config import keyring
 from mopidy.config.schemas import *  # noqa
 from mopidy.config.types import *  # noqa
-from mopidy.utils import path, versioning
+from mopidy.utils import compat, path, versioning
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def _load(files, defaults, overrides):
     # all in the same way?
     logger.info('Loading config from builtin defaults')
     for default in defaults:
-        if isinstance(default, unicode):
+        if isinstance(default, compat.text_type):
             default = default.encode('utf-8')
         parser.readfp(io.BytesIO(default))
 
diff --git a/mopidy/config/keyring.py b/mopidy/config/keyring.py
index cce15bd9..d0c8d9ed 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/keyring.py
+++ b/mopidy/config/keyring.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     dbus = None
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 # XXX: Hack to workaround introspection bug caused by gnome-keyring, should be
 # fixed by version 3.5 per:
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ def set(section, key, value):
     if not collection:
         return False
 
-    if isinstance(value, unicode):
+    if isinstance(value, compat.text_type):
         value = value.encode('utf-8')
 
     session = service.OpenSession('plain', EMPTY_STRING)[1]
diff --git a/mopidy/config/types.py b/mopidy/config/types.py
index ebca1a78..1dbbe39f 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/types.py
+++ b/mopidy/config/types.py
@@ -5,18 +5,18 @@ import re
 import socket
 
 from mopidy.config import validators
-from mopidy.utils import path
+from mopidy.utils import compat, path
 
 
 def decode(value):
-    if isinstance(value, unicode):
+    if isinstance(value, compat.text_type):
         return value
     # TODO: only unescape \n \t and \\?
     return value.decode('string-escape').decode('utf-8')
 
 
 def encode(value):
-    if not isinstance(value, unicode):
+    if not isinstance(value, compat.text_type):
         return value
     for char in ('\\', '\n', '\t'):  # TODO: more escapes?
         value = value.replace(char, char.encode('unicode-escape'))
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ class Path(ConfigValue):
         return ExpandedPath(value, expanded)
 
     def serialize(self, value, display=False):
-        if isinstance(value, unicode):
+        if isinstance(value, compat.text_type):
             raise ValueError('paths should always be bytes')
         if isinstance(value, ExpandedPath):
             return value.original
diff --git a/mopidy/core/tracklist.py b/mopidy/core/tracklist.py
index e3e90de5..d9c08c3d 100644
--- a/mopidy/core/tracklist.py
+++ b/mopidy/core/tracklist.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import random
 
 from mopidy.core import listener
 from mopidy.models import TlTrack
+from mopidy.utils import compat
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -329,7 +330,7 @@ class TracklistController(object):
         matches = self._tl_tracks
         for (key, values) in criteria.iteritems():
             if (not isinstance(values, collections.Iterable)
-                    or isinstance(values, basestring)):
+                    or isinstance(values, compat.string_types)):
                 # Fail hard if anyone is using the <0.17 calling style
                 raise ValueError('Filter values must be iterable: %r' % values)
             if key == 'tlid':
diff --git a/mopidy/local/translator.py b/mopidy/local/translator.py
index 2bfe8ead..ca8b5e94 100644
--- a/mopidy/local/translator.py
+++ b/mopidy/local/translator.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import urllib
 import urlparse
 
 from mopidy.models import Track
+from mopidy.utils import compat
 from mopidy.utils.encoding import locale_decode
 from mopidy.utils.path import path_to_uri, uri_to_path
 
@@ -29,14 +30,14 @@ def local_track_uri_to_path(uri, media_dir):
 
 def path_to_local_track_uri(relpath):
     """Convert path releative to media_dir to local track URI."""
-    if isinstance(relpath, unicode):
+    if isinstance(relpath, compat.text_type):
         relpath = relpath.encode('utf-8')
     return b'local:track:%s' % urllib.quote(relpath)
 
 
 def path_to_local_directory_uri(relpath):
     """Convert path relative to :confval:`local/media_dir` directory URI."""
-    if isinstance(relpath, unicode):
+    if isinstance(relpath, compat.text_type):
         relpath = relpath.encode('utf-8')
     return b'local:directory:%s' % urllib.quote(relpath)
 
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/encoding.py b/mopidy/utils/encoding.py
index af781838..be8d5a7f 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/encoding.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/encoding.py
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
 
 import locale
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 def locale_decode(bytestr):
     try:
-        return unicode(bytestr)
+        return compat.text_type(bytestr)
     except UnicodeError:
-        return str(bytestr).decode(locale.getpreferredencoding())
+        return bytes(bytestr).decode(locale.getpreferredencoding())
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/jsonrpc.py b/mopidy/utils/jsonrpc.py
index 4eb85e9b..113edcab 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/jsonrpc.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/jsonrpc.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import traceback
 
 import pykka
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 class JsonRpcWrapper(object):
     """
@@ -137,13 +139,13 @@ class JsonRpcWrapper(object):
             except TypeError as error:
                 raise JsonRpcInvalidParamsError(data={
                     'type': error.__class__.__name__,
-                    'message': unicode(error),
+                    'message': compat.text_type(error),
                     'traceback': traceback.format_exc(),
                 })
             except Exception as error:
                 raise JsonRpcApplicationError(data={
                     'type': error.__class__.__name__,
-                    'message': unicode(error),
+                    'message': compat.text_type(error),
                     'traceback': traceback.format_exc(),
                 })
         except JsonRpcError as error:
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ class JsonRpcWrapper(object):
         if 'method' not in request:
             raise JsonRpcInvalidRequestError(
                 data='"method" member must be included')
-        if not isinstance(request['method'], unicode):
+        if not isinstance(request['method'], compat.text_type):
             raise JsonRpcInvalidRequestError(
                 data='"method" must be a string')
 
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/path.py b/mopidy/utils/path.py
index 4efcfa20..48e47735 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/path.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/path.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import urlparse
 
 import glib
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@ def path_to_uri(path):
 
     Returns a file:// URI as an unicode string.
     """
-    if isinstance(path, unicode):
+    if isinstance(path, compat.text_type):
         path = path.encode('utf-8')
     path = urllib.quote(path)
     return urlparse.urlunsplit((b'file', b'', path, b'', b''))
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ def uri_to_path(uri):
     look up the matching dir or file on your file system because the exact path
     would be lost by ignoring its encoding.
     """
-    if isinstance(uri, unicode):
+    if isinstance(uri, compat.text_type):
         uri = uri.encode('utf-8')
     return urllib.unquote(urlparse.urlsplit(uri).path)
 
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 6ae07bcc..c664a5fa 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
 
 import os
 
+from mopidy.utils import compat
+
 
 def path_to_data_dir(name):
     if not isinstance(name, bytes):
@@ -31,4 +33,4 @@ class IsA(object):
 
 any_int = IsA(int)
 any_str = IsA(str)
-any_unicode = IsA(unicode)
+any_unicode = IsA(compat.text_type)
diff --git a/tests/config/test_types.py b/tests/config/test_types.py
index 713eb4c0..f113fb28 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_types.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_types.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import unittest
 import mock
 
 from mopidy.config import types
+from mopidy.utils import compat
 
 # TODO: DecodeTest and EncodeTest
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class StringTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_deserialize_conversion_success(self):
         value = types.String()
         self.assertEqual('foo', value.deserialize(b' foo '))
-        self.assertIsInstance(value.deserialize(b'foo'), unicode)
+        self.assertIsInstance(value.deserialize(b'foo'), compat.text_type)
 
     def test_deserialize_decodes_utf8(self):
         value = types.String()
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ class SecretTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_deserialize_decodes_utf8(self):
         value = types.Secret()
         result = value.deserialize('æøå'.encode('utf-8'))
-        self.assertIsInstance(result, unicode)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result, compat.text_type)
         self.assertEqual('æøå', result)
 
     def test_deserialize_enforces_required(self):
diff --git a/tests/utils/network/test_lineprotocol.py b/tests/utils/network/test_lineprotocol.py
index 9fb703ca..5c6a5ad4 100644
--- a/tests/utils/network/test_lineprotocol.py
+++ b/tests/utils/network/test_lineprotocol.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import unittest
 
 from mock import Mock, sentinel
 
-from mopidy.utils import network
+from mopidy.utils import compat, network
 
 from tests import any_unicode
 
@@ -259,13 +259,13 @@ class LineProtocolTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_decode_plain_ascii(self):
         result = network.LineProtocol.decode(self.mock, 'abc')
         self.assertEqual('abc', result)
-        self.assertEqual(unicode, type(result))
+        self.assertEqual(compat.text_type, type(result))
 
     def test_decode_utf8(self):
         result = network.LineProtocol.decode(
             self.mock, 'æøå'.encode('utf-8'))
         self.assertEqual('æøå', result)
-        self.assertEqual(unicode, type(result))
+        self.assertEqual(compat.text_type, type(result))
 
     def test_decode_invalid_data(self):
         string = Mock()
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_path.py b/tests/utils/test_path.py
index 4a31739c..b15fd1b5 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_path.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_path.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import unittest
 
 import glib
 
-from mopidy.utils import path
+from mopidy.utils import compat, path
 
 import tests
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class GetOrCreateDirTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_create_dir_with_unicode(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            dir_path = unicode(os.path.join(self.parent, b'test'))
+            dir_path = compat.text_type(os.path.join(self.parent, b'test'))
             path.get_or_create_dir(dir_path)
 
     def test_create_dir_with_none(self):
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class GetOrCreateFileTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_create_dir_with_unicode(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            file_path = unicode(os.path.join(self.parent, b'test'))
+            file_path = compat.text_type(os.path.join(self.parent, b'test'))
             path.get_or_create_file(file_path)
 
     def test_create_file_with_none(self):