diff --git a/tests/test_form_pages.py b/tests/test_form_pages.py
index 71c4aa1a2..c65065ebf 100644
--- a/tests/test_form_pages.py
+++ b/tests/test_form_pages.py
@@ -2837,7 +2837,7 @@ def test_form_table_field_submit(pub, emails):
     resp = resp.follow()
     assert 'The form has been recorded' in resp.text
     # check rst2html didn't fail
-    assert 'ee' in emails.emails['New form (test)']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload()
+    assert b'ee' in emails.emails['New form (test)']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True)
 
 def test_form_table_rows_field_submit(pub, emails):
     formdef = create_formdef()
@@ -2903,7 +2903,7 @@ def test_form_table_rows_field_submit(pub, emails):
     resp = resp.form.submit('submit')
     resp = resp.follow()
     assert 'The form has been recorded' in resp.text
-    assert 'ee' in emails.emails['New form (test)']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload()
+    assert b'ee' in emails.emails['New form (test)']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True)
 
 def test_form_new_table_rows_field_draft_recall(pub):
     formdef = create_formdef()
@@ -5908,7 +5908,7 @@ def test_email_actions(pub, emails):
     assert '/actions/' in action_url
     if docutils:
         assert len(email_data['payloads']) == 2
-        assert action_url in email_data['payloads'][1]
+        assert action_url in force_text(email_data['payloads'][1])
 
     app = get_app(pub)
     resp = app.get(action_url)
diff --git a/tests/test_misc.py b/tests/test_misc.py
index 3f8968f85..43eab9102 100644
--- a/tests/test_misc.py
+++ b/tests/test_misc.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ def test_email_signature_plain(emails):
     send_email('test', mail_body='Hello', email_rcpt='test@localhost', want_html=False)
     assert emails.count() == 1
     assert not emails.emails['test']['msg'].is_multipart()
-    assert 'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()
+    assert b'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload(decode=True)
 
 def test_email_from(emails):
     pub = create_temporary_pub()
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ def test_email_from(emails):
     send_email('test', mail_body='Hello', email_rcpt='test@localhost', want_html=False)
     assert emails.count() == 1
     assert emails.emails['test']['from'] == 'foo@localhost'
-    assert emails.emails['test']['msg']['From'] == '=?utf-8?q?HELLO?= <foo@localhost>'
+    assert emails.emails['test']['msg']['From'] in ('=?utf-8?q?HELLO?= <foo@localhost>', 'HELLO <foo@localhost>')
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif('docutils is None')
 def test_email_signature_rst(emails):
@@ -315,8 +315,8 @@ def test_email_signature_rst(emails):
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_content_subtype() == 'alternative'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'text/html'
-    assert 'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload()
-    assert '>Footer<' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload()
+    assert b'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload(decode=True)
+    assert b'>Footer<' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True)
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif('docutils is None')
 def test_email_signature_rst_pipes(emails):
@@ -328,8 +328,8 @@ def test_email_signature_rst_pipes(emails):
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_content_subtype() == 'alternative'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'text/html'
-    assert 'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload()
-    assert '>Footer<' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload()
+    assert b'Footer\nText' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload(decode=True)
+    assert b'>Footer<' in emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True)
 
 def test_email_plain_with_attachments(emails):
     pub = create_temporary_pub()
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ def test_email_plain_with_attachments(emails):
     assert emails.emails['txt']['msg'].get_content_subtype() == 'mixed'
     assert emails.emails['txt']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
     assert emails.emails['txt']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
-    assert emails.emails['txt']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload() == 'foo-text-bar'
+    assert emails.emails['txt']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True) == b'foo-text-bar'
 
     send_email('jpgodt', mail_body='Hello',
                email_rcpt='test@localhost', want_html=False,
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ def test_email_plain_with_attachments(emails):
     assert emails.emails['unknown']['msg'].get_content_subtype() == 'mixed'
     assert emails.emails['unknown']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
     assert emails.emails['unknown']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'x-foo/x-bar'
-    assert emails.emails['unknown']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload() == base64.b64encode('barfoo')
+    assert emails.emails['unknown']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=False).strip() == 'YmFyZm9v'
 
     send_email('test-bad-attachment', mail_body='Hello',
                email_rcpt='test@localhost', want_html=False,
@@ -452,12 +452,12 @@ M. Francis Kuntz
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_content_subtype() == 'alternative'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
     assert emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'text/html'
-    text = emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload()
-    html = emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload()
-    assert html.count('<ol') == 1
-    assert not '<ul' in html
-    assert 'arabic simple' in html
-    assert 'M. Francis Kuntz' in html
+    text = emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_payload(decode=True)
+    html = emails.emails['test']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_payload(decode=True)
+    assert html.count(b'<ol') == 1
+    assert not b'<ul' in html
+    assert b'arabic simple' in html
+    assert b'M. Francis Kuntz' in html
 
 def test_dict_from_prefix():
     d = evalutils.dict_from_prefix('var1', {})
diff --git a/tests/test_workflows.py b/tests/test_workflows.py
index 131df52d4..e76972922 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflows.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflows.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import zipfile
 
 import mock
 
+from django.utils import six
+from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes
 from django.utils.six import BytesIO, StringIO
 from django.utils.six.moves.urllib import parse as urlparse
 
@@ -1368,7 +1370,10 @@ def test_email_attachments(pub, emails):
     assert emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[0].get_content_type() == 'text/html'
     assert emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[1].get_content_type() == 'image/jpeg'
     assert emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[2].get_content_type() == 'text/plain'
-    assert emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[2].get_payload() == 'blah'
+    if six.PY2:
+        assert emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[2].get_payload() == 'blah'
+    else:
+        assert base64.decodestring(force_bytes(emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()[2].get_payload())) == b'blah'
     assert len(emails.emails['foobar']['msg'].get_payload()) == 3
 
     emails.empty()