diff --git i/SConstruct w/SConstruct
index 4358a23..7f3cc94 100644
--- i/SConstruct
+++ w/SConstruct
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 # ====================================================================
 #
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 import sys
 import os
 import re
@@ -163,9 +165,9 @@ env.Append(BUILDERS = {
               suffix='.def', src_suffix='.h')
   })
 
-match = re.search('SERF_MAJOR_VERSION ([0-9]+).*'
-                  'SERF_MINOR_VERSION ([0-9]+).*'
-                  'SERF_PATCH_VERSION ([0-9]+)',
+match = re.search(b'SERF_MAJOR_VERSION ([0-9]+).*'
+                  b'SERF_MINOR_VERSION ([0-9]+).*'
+                  b'SERF_PATCH_VERSION ([0-9]+)',
                   env.File('serf.h').get_contents(),
                   re.DOTALL)
 MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH = [int(x) for x in match.groups()]
diff --git i/build/check.py w/build/check.py
index 2dacb4c..76945af 100755
--- i/build/check.py
+++ w/build/check.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 # ===================================================================
 #
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 import sys
 import glob
 import subprocess
@@ -52,16 +54,16 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
   # Find test responses and run them one by one
   for case in glob.glob(testdir + "/testcases/*.response"):
-    print "== Testing %s ==" % (case)
+    print("== Testing %s ==" % (case))
     try:
       subprocess.check_call([SERF_RESPONSE_EXE, case])
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-      print "ERROR: test case %s failed" % (case)
+      print("ERROR: test case %s failed" % (case))
       sys.exit(1)
 
-  print "== Running the unit tests =="
+  print("== Running the unit tests ==")
   try:
     subprocess.check_call(TEST_ALL_EXE)
   except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-    print "ERROR: test(s) failed in test_all"
+    print("ERROR: test(s) failed in test_all")
     sys.exit(1)
diff --git i/build/gen_def.py w/build/gen_def.py
index a2222d0..1e006ee 100755
--- i/build/gen_def.py
+++ w/build/gen_def.py
@@ -52,12 +52,13 @@ _types = re.compile(r'^extern const serf_bucket_type_t (serf_[a-z_]*);',
 
 
 def extract_exports(fname):
-  content = open(fname).read()
   exports = [ ]
-  for name in _funcs.findall(content):
-    exports.append(name)
-  for name in _types.findall(content):
-    exports.append(name)
+  with open(fname) as fd:
+    content = fd.read()
+    for name in _funcs.findall(content):
+      exports.append(name)
+    for name in _types.findall(content):
+      exports.append(name)
   return exports
 
 # Blacklist the serf v2 API for now