diff --git a/kazoo/protocol/connection.py b/kazoo/protocol/connection.py
index d12d6eba..3df7b162 100644
--- a/kazoo/protocol/connection.py
+++ b/kazoo/protocol/connection.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import select
 import socket
 import ssl
-import sys
 import time
 
 from kazoo.exceptions import (
@@ -75,16 +74,10 @@
 
 CLOSE_RESPONSE = Close.type
 
-if sys.version_info > (3,):  # pragma: nocover
 
-    def buffer(obj, offset=0):
-        return memoryview(obj)[offset:]
-
-    advance_iterator = next
-else:  # pragma: nocover
-
-    def advance_iterator(it):
-        return it.next()
+# removed from Python3+
+def buffer(obj, offset=0):
+    return memoryview(obj)[offset:]
 
 
 class RWPinger(object):
@@ -526,7 +519,7 @@ def _send_ping(self, connect_timeout):
 
         # Determine if we need to check for a r/w server
         if self._ro_mode:
-            result = advance_iterator(self._ro_mode)
+            result = next(self._ro_mode)
             if result:
                 self._rw_server = result
                 raise RWServerAvailable()
diff --git a/kazoo/tests/test_client.py b/kazoo/tests/test_client.py
index e376baaf..3f1748c4 100644
--- a/kazoo/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/kazoo/tests/test_client.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import os
 import socket
-import sys
 import tempfile
 import threading
 import time
@@ -30,17 +29,6 @@
 from kazoo.tests.util import CI_ZK_VERSION
 
 
-if sys.version_info > (3,):  # pragma: nocover
-
-    def u(s):
-        return s
-
-else:  # pragma: nocover
-
-    def u(s):
-        return unicode(s, "unicode_escape")  # noqa
-
-
 class TestClientTransitions(KazooTestCase):
     @staticmethod
     def make_event():
@@ -197,8 +185,8 @@ def test_connect_auth(self):
             client.close()
 
     def test_unicode_auth(self):
-        username = u(r"xe4/\hm")
-        password = u(r"/\xe4hm")
+        username = r"xe4/\hm"
+        password = r"/\xe4hm"
         digest_auth = "%s:%s" % (username, password)
         acl = self._makeAuth(username, password, all=True)
 
@@ -543,10 +531,10 @@ def test_create_empty_string(self):
 
     def test_create_unicode_path(self):
         client = self.client
-        path = client.create(u("/ascii"))
-        assert path == u("/ascii")
-        path = client.create(u("/\xe4hm"))
-        assert path == u("/\xe4hm")
+        path = client.create("/ascii")
+        assert path == "/ascii"
+        path = client.create("/\xe4hm")
+        assert path == "/\xe4hm"
 
     def test_create_async_returns_unchrooted_path(self):
         client = self.client
@@ -593,7 +581,7 @@ def test_create_value(self):
     def test_create_unicode_value(self):
         client = self.client
         with pytest.raises(TypeError):
-            client.create("/1", u("\xe4hm"))
+            client.create("/1", "\xe4hm")
 
     def test_create_large_value(self):
         client = self.client
diff --git a/kazoo/tests/test_paths.py b/kazoo/tests/test_paths.py
index 2749634e..438c2eca 100644
--- a/kazoo/tests/test_paths.py
+++ b/kazoo/tests/test_paths.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import sys
 from unittest import TestCase
 
 import pytest
@@ -6,17 +5,6 @@
 from kazoo.protocol import paths
 
 
-if sys.version_info > (3,):  # pragma: nocover
-
-    def u(s):
-        return s
-
-else:  # pragma: nocover
-
-    def u(s):
-        return unicode(s, "unicode_escape")  # noqa
-
-
 class NormPathTestCase(TestCase):
     def test_normpath(self):
         assert paths.normpath("/a/b") == "/a/b"
@@ -25,7 +13,7 @@ def test_normpath_empty(self):
         assert paths.normpath("") == ""
 
     def test_normpath_unicode(self):
-        assert paths.normpath(u("/\xe4/b")) == u("/\xe4/b")
+        assert paths.normpath("/\xe4/b") == "/\xe4/b"
 
     def test_normpath_dots(self):
         assert paths.normpath("/a./b../c") == "/a./b../c"