diff --git a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
index 1fa7909a2..e855b3451 100644
--- a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
+++ b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ def test_multipart_upload_too_small():
     bucket = conn.create_bucket("foobar")
 
     multipart = bucket.initiate_multipart_upload("the-key")
-    multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO('hello'), 1)
-    multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO('world'), 2)
+    multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(b'hello'), 1)
+    multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(b'world'), 2)
     # Multipart with total size under 5MB is refused
     multipart.complete_upload.should.throw(S3ResponseError)
 
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ def test_multipart_upload():
     bucket = conn.create_bucket("foobar")
 
     multipart = bucket.initiate_multipart_upload("the-key")
-    part1 = '0' * 5242880
+    part1 = b'0' * 5242880
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part1), 1)
     # last part, can be less than 5 MB
-    part2 = '1'
+    part2 = b'1'
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part2), 2)
     multipart.complete_upload()
     # we should get both parts as the key contents
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def test_multipart_upload_with_copy_key():
     key.set_contents_from_string("key_value")
 
     multipart = bucket.initiate_multipart_upload("the-key")
-    part1 = '0' * 5242880
+    part1 = b'0' * 5242880
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part1), 1)
     multipart.copy_part_from_key("foobar", "original-key", 2)
     multipart.complete_upload()
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_multipart_upload_cancel():
     bucket = conn.create_bucket("foobar")
 
     multipart = bucket.initiate_multipart_upload("the-key")
-    part1 = '0' * 5242880
+    part1 = b'0' * 5242880
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part1), 1)
     multipart.cancel_upload()
     # TODO we really need some sort of assertion here, but we don't currently
@@ -118,10 +118,10 @@ def test_multipart_etag():
     bucket = conn.create_bucket('mybucket')
 
     multipart = bucket.initiate_multipart_upload("the-key")
-    part1 = '0' * 5242880
+    part1 = b'0' * 5242880
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part1), 1)
     # last part, can be less than 5 MB
-    part2 = '1'
+    part2 = b'1'
     multipart.upload_part_from_file(BytesIO(part2), 2)
     multipart.complete_upload()
     # we should get both parts as the key contents
diff --git a/tests/test_sns/test_topics.py b/tests/test_sns/test_topics.py
index b95ec0f76..ccb7d2696 100644
--- a/tests/test_sns/test_topics.py
+++ b/tests/test_sns/test_topics.py
@@ -45,9 +45,10 @@ def test_topic_attributes():
     attributes["DeliveryPolicy"].should.equal("")
     attributes["EffectiveDeliveryPolicy"].should.equal(DEFAULT_EFFECTIVE_DELIVERY_POLICY)
 
-    conn.set_topic_attributes(topic_arn, "Policy", {"foo": "bar"})
+    # boto can't handle unicode here :(
+    conn.set_topic_attributes(topic_arn, "Policy", {b"foo": b"bar"})
     conn.set_topic_attributes(topic_arn, "DisplayName", "My display name")
-    conn.set_topic_attributes(topic_arn, "DeliveryPolicy", {"http": {"defaultHealthyRetryPolicy": {"numRetries": 5}}})
+    conn.set_topic_attributes(topic_arn, "DeliveryPolicy", {b"http": {b"defaultHealthyRetryPolicy": {b"numRetries": 5}}})
 
     attributes = conn.get_topic_attributes(topic_arn)['GetTopicAttributesResponse']['GetTopicAttributesResult']['Attributes']
     attributes["Policy"].should.equal("{'foo': 'bar'}")