diff --git a/redis_cache/__init__.py b/redis_cache/__init__.py
index a46e94e..ce5d31b 100644
--- a/redis_cache/__init__.py
+++ b/redis_cache/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-from rediscache import *
\ No newline at end of file
+from .rediscache import *
diff --git a/redis_cache/rediscache.py b/redis_cache/rediscache.py
index ae5ee2a..9fb492f 100644
--- a/redis_cache/rediscache.py
+++ b/redis_cache/rediscache.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import hashlib
 import redis
 import logging
+import six
 
 DEFAULT_EXPIRY = 60 * 60 * 24
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                                                password=self.password,
                                                ssl=self.ssl).connect()
 
-        except RedisNoConnException, e:
+        except RedisNoConnException:
             self.write_connection = None
 
         try:
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                                                db=self.db,
                                                password=self.password,
                                                ssl=self.ssl).connect()
-        except RedisNoConnException, e:
+        except RedisNoConnException:
             self.read_connection = None
 
         # Should we hash keys? There is a very small risk of collision involved.
@@ -393,7 +394,6 @@ def func(*args, **kwargs):
     return decorator
 
 
-
 def cache_it_json(limit=10000, expire=DEFAULT_EXPIRY, cache=None, namespace=None):
     """
     Arguments and function result must be able to convert to JSON.
@@ -407,7 +407,6 @@ def cache_it_json(limit=10000, expire=DEFAULT_EXPIRY, cache=None, namespace=None
 
 
 def to_unicode(obj, encoding='utf-8'):
-    if isinstance(obj, basestring):
-        if not isinstance(obj, unicode):
-            obj = unicode(obj, encoding)
+    if isinstance(obj, six.string_types):
+        obj = str(obj, encoding)
     return obj
diff --git a/redis_cache/test_rediscache.py b/redis_cache/test_rediscache.py
index f961d8c..d9fba39 100644
--- a/redis_cache/test_rediscache.py
+++ b/redis_cache/test_rediscache.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-#SimpleCache Tests
-#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+# SimpleCache Tests
+# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 from datetime import timedelta
-from rediscache import SimpleCache, RedisConnect, cache_it, cache_it_json, CacheMissException, ExpiredKeyException, DoNotCache
+from .rediscache import SimpleCache, RedisConnect, cache_it, cache_it_json, CacheMissException, ExpiredKeyException, \
+    DoNotCache
 from unittest import TestCase, main
 import time
 
+
 class ComplexNumber(object):  # used in pickle test
     def __init__(self, real, imag):
         self.real = real
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.c = SimpleCache(10)  # Cache that has a maximum limit of 10 keys
         self.assertIsNotNone(self.c.connection)
         self.redis = RedisConnect().connect()
+
     def test_expire(self):
         quick_c = SimpleCache()
 
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ def test_kwargs_decorator(self):
         @cache_it_json(cache=self.c)
         def add_it(a, b=10, c=5):
             return a + b + c
+
         add_it(3)
         self.assertEqual(add_it(3), 18)
         add_it(5, b=7)
@@ -58,17 +62,19 @@ def test_json(self):
         self.assertEqual(self.c.get_json("json"), payload)
 
     def test_pickle(self):
-        payload = ComplexNumber(3,4)
+        payload = ComplexNumber(3, 4)
         self.c.store_pickle("pickle", payload)
         self.assertEqual(self.c.get_pickle("pickle"), payload)
 
     def test_decorator(self):
         self.redis.flushall()
         mutable = []
+
         @cache_it(cache=self.c)
         def append(n):
             mutable.append(n)
             return mutable
+
         append(1)
         len_before = len(mutable)
         mutable_cached = append(1)
@@ -142,10 +148,12 @@ def test_decorator_json(self):
         import random
 
         mutable = {}
+
         @cache_it_json(cache=self.c)
         def set_key(n):
             mutable[str(random.random())] = n
             return mutable
+
         set_key('a')
         len_before = len(mutable)
         mutable_cached = set_key('a')
@@ -160,11 +168,12 @@ def test_decorator_complex_type(self):
         @cache_it(cache=self.c)
         def add(x, y):
             return ComplexNumber(x.real + y.real, x.imag + y.imag)
-        result = add(ComplexNumber(3,4), ComplexNumber(4,5))
-        result_cached = add(ComplexNumber(3,4), ComplexNumber(4,5))
+
+        result = add(ComplexNumber(3, 4), ComplexNumber(4, 5))
+        result_cached = add(ComplexNumber(3, 4), ComplexNumber(4, 5))
         self.assertNotEqual(id(result), id(result_cached))
         self.assertEqual(result, result_cached)
-        self.assertEqual(result, complex(3,4) + complex(4,5))
+        self.assertEqual(result, complex(3, 4) + complex(4, 5))
 
     def test_cache_limit(self):
         for i in range(100):
@@ -189,7 +198,7 @@ def test_flush(self):
         connection.delete("will_not_be_deleted")
 
     def test_flush_namespace(self):
-    	self.redis.flushall()
+        self.redis.flushall()
         self.c.store("foo:one", "bir")
         self.c.store("foo:two", "bor")
         self.c.store("fii", "bur")
@@ -294,5 +303,3 @@ def test_invalidate_key(self):
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.c.flush()
-
-main()
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 61a87b2..46281ad 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 redis>=2.7.1
+six==1.16.0