diff --git a/example/assertion/failure_demo.py b/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
index b2e3a4f03..f3e793ef2 100644
--- a/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
+++ b/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class TestFailing(object):
 
     def test_reinterpret_fails_with_print_for_the_fun_of_it(self):
         l = [1,2,3]
-        print "l is", l
+        print ("l is %r" % l)
         a,b = l.pop()
 
     def test_some_error(self):
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def test_dynamic_compile_shows_nicely():
     name = 'abc-123'
     module = py.std.imp.new_module(name)
     code = py.code.compile(src, name, 'exec')
-    exec code in module.__dict__
+    py.builtin.exec_(code, module.__dict__)
     py.std.sys.modules[name] = module
     module.foo()
 
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_assertion.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_assertion.py
index 65c55f3aa..8cba62be5 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_assertion.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_assertion.py
@@ -8,11 +8,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
         help="disable python assert expression reinterpretation."),
 
 def pytest_configure(config):
-    # XXX
-    if sys.version_info >= (3,0):
-        return
-
-    if not config.getvalue("noassert"):
+    if not config.getvalue("noassert") and not config.getvalue("nomagic"):
         warn_about_missing_assertion()
         config._oldassertion = py.builtin.builtins.AssertionError
         py.builtin.builtins.AssertionError = py.code._AssertionError