diff --git a/py/_plugin/pytest_assertion.py b/py/_plugin/pytest_assertion.py
index 347f7edb7..226da79c7 100644
--- a/py/_plugin/pytest_assertion.py
+++ b/py/_plugin/pytest_assertion.py
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ def warn_about_missing_assertion():
                              " (are you using python -O?)")
 
 
+# Provide basestring in python3
+try:
+    basestring = basestring
+except NameError:
+    basestring = str
+
+
 def pytest_assert_binrepr(op, left, right):
     """Make specialised explanations for some operators/operands"""
     left_repr = py.io.saferepr(left, maxsize=30)
@@ -72,7 +79,7 @@ def pytest_assert_binrepr(op, left, right):
 
 def _compare_eq_sequence(left, right):
     explanation = []
-    for i in xrange(min(len(left), len(right))):
+    for i in range(min(len(left), len(right))):
         if left[i] != right[i]:
             explanation += ['First differing item %s: %s != %s' %
                             (i, left[i], right[i])]
diff --git a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_assertion.py b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_assertion.py
index 81796dd12..9d750896f 100644
--- a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_assertion.py
+++ b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_assertion.py
@@ -85,13 +85,9 @@ def test_pytest_assert_binrepr_called(monkeypatch, hook):
 
 
 def test_pytest_assert_binrepr_args(monkeypatch, hook):
-    print hook.called
     monkeypatch.setattr(py._plugin.pytest_assertion,
                         'pytest_assert_binrepr', hook)
     interpret('assert [0, 1] == [0, 2]', getframe())
-    print hook.called
-    print hook.left
-    print hook.right
     assert hook.op == '=='
     assert hook.left == [0, 1]
     assert hook.right == [0, 2]