diff --git a/devlib/collector/ftrace.py b/devlib/collector/ftrace.py
index 057d732..d356154 100644
--- a/devlib/collector/ftrace.py
+++ b/devlib/collector/ftrace.py
@@ -408,8 +408,7 @@ class FtraceCollector(CollectorBase):
             self.logger.debug(command)
             process = subprocess.Popen(command, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True)
             _, error = process.communicate()
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                error = error.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
+            error = error.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
             if process.returncode:
                 raise TargetStableError('trace-cmd returned non-zero exit code {}'.format(process.returncode))
             if error:
diff --git a/devlib/instrument/acmecape.py b/devlib/instrument/acmecape.py
index ec0a77b..cfbcbe0 100644
--- a/devlib/instrument/acmecape.py
+++ b/devlib/instrument/acmecape.py
@@ -116,10 +116,7 @@ class AcmeCapeInstrument(Instrument):
                 msg = 'Could not terminate iio-capture:\n{}'
                 raise HostError(msg.format(output))
         if self.process.returncode != 15: # iio-capture exits with 15 when killed
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                output += self.process.stdout.read().decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
-            else:
-                output += self.process.stdout.read()
+            output += self.process.stdout.read().decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
             self.logger.info('ACME instrument encountered an error, '
                              'you may want to try rebooting the ACME device:\n'
                              '  ssh root@{} reboot'.format(self.host))
diff --git a/devlib/instrument/energy_probe.py b/devlib/instrument/energy_probe.py
index b0b5180..6a97c5b 100644
--- a/devlib/instrument/energy_probe.py
+++ b/devlib/instrument/energy_probe.py
@@ -86,9 +86,8 @@ class EnergyProbeInstrument(Instrument):
         self.process.poll()
         if self.process.returncode is not None:
             stdout, stderr = self.process.communicate()
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                stdout = stdout.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
-                stderr = stderr.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
+            stdout = stdout.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
+            stderr = stderr.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
             raise HostError(
                 'Energy Probe: Caiman exited unexpectedly with exit code {}.\n'
                 'stdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}'.format(self.process.returncode,
diff --git a/devlib/instrument/monsoon.py b/devlib/instrument/monsoon.py
index ac1741d..9799917 100644
--- a/devlib/instrument/monsoon.py
+++ b/devlib/instrument/monsoon.py
@@ -100,9 +100,8 @@ class MonsoonInstrument(Instrument):
         process.poll()
         if process.returncode is not None:
             stdout, stderr = process.communicate()
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                stdout = stdout.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
-                stderr = stderr.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
+            stdout = stdout.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
+            stderr = stderr.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
             raise HostError(
                 'Monsoon script exited unexpectedly with exit code {}.\n'
                 'stdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}'.format(process.returncode,
diff --git a/devlib/target.py b/devlib/target.py
index 1d56b0e..d69b74c 100644
--- a/devlib/target.py
+++ b/devlib/target.py
@@ -2029,10 +2029,7 @@ class AndroidTarget(Target):
 
         parsed_xml = xml.dom.minidom.parse(filepath)
         with open(filepath, 'w') as f:
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                f.write(parsed_xml.toprettyxml())
-            else:
-                f.write(parsed_xml.toprettyxml().encode('utf-8'))
+            f.write(parsed_xml.toprettyxml())
 
     @asyn.asyncf
     async def is_installed(self, name):
diff --git a/devlib/utils/android.py b/devlib/utils/android.py
index a88f34d..f107667 100755
--- a/devlib/utils/android.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/android.py
@@ -246,8 +246,7 @@ class ApkInfo(object):
         logger.debug(' '.join(command))
         try:
             output = subprocess.check_output(command, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
-            if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-                output = output.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
+            output = output.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
             raise HostError('Error while running "{}":\n{}'
                             .format(command, e.output))
diff --git a/devlib/utils/csvutil.py b/devlib/utils/csvutil.py
index 2cb1212..b696449 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/csvutil.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/csvutil.py
@@ -60,10 +60,7 @@ from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 @contextmanager
 def csvwriter(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-        wfh = open(filepath, 'w', newline='')
-    else:
-        wfh = open(filepath, 'wb')
+    wfh = open(filepath, 'w', newline='')
 
     try:
         yield csv.writer(wfh, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -73,10 +70,7 @@ def csvwriter(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
 
 @contextmanager
 def csvreader(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-        fh = open(filepath, 'r', newline='')
-    else:
-        fh = open(filepath, 'rb')
+    fh = open(filepath, 'r', newline='')
 
     try:
         yield csv.reader(fh, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -85,16 +79,10 @@ def csvreader(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
 
 
 def create_writer(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-        wfh = open(filepath, 'w', newline='')
-    else:
-        wfh = open(filepath, 'wb')
+    wfh = open(filepath, 'w', newline='')
     return csv.writer(wfh, *args, **kwargs), wfh
 
 
 def create_reader(filepath, *args, **kwargs):
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-        fh = open(filepath, 'r', newline='')
-    else:
-        fh = open(filepath, 'rb')
+    fh = open(filepath, 'r', newline='')
     return csv.reader(fh, *args, **kwargs), fh
diff --git a/devlib/utils/misc.py b/devlib/utils/misc.py
index 4734892..58cf6ec 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/misc.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/misc.py
@@ -594,11 +594,7 @@ class LoadSyntaxError(Exception):
 
 RAND_MOD_NAME_LEN = 30
 BAD_CHARS = string.punctuation + string.whitespace
-# pylint: disable=no-member
-if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-    TRANS_TABLE = str.maketrans(BAD_CHARS, '_' * len(BAD_CHARS))
-else:
-    TRANS_TABLE = string.maketrans(BAD_CHARS, '_' * len(BAD_CHARS))
+TRANS_TABLE = str.maketrans(BAD_CHARS, '_' * len(BAD_CHARS))
 
 
 def to_identifier(text):
diff --git a/devlib/utils/rendering.py b/devlib/utils/rendering.py
index 3df82d6..52d4f00 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/rendering.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/rendering.py
@@ -217,10 +217,7 @@ class GfxinfoFrameCollector(FrameCollector):
     def collect_frames(self, wfh):
         cmd = 'dumpsys gfxinfo {} framestats'
         result = self.target.execute(cmd.format(self.package))
-        if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-            wfh.write(result.encode('utf-8'))
-        else:
-            wfh.write(result)
+        wfh.write(result.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def clear(self):
         pass
diff --git a/devlib/utils/ssh.py b/devlib/utils/ssh.py
index 0feceaf..c985ed2 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/ssh.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/ssh.py
@@ -758,11 +758,7 @@ class SshConnection(SshConnectionBase):
         output_chunks, exit_code = _read_paramiko_streams(stdout, stderr, select_timeout, callback, [])
         # Join in one go to avoid O(N^2) concatenation
         output = b''.join(output_chunks)
-
-        if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-            output = output.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
-        if strip_colors:
-            output = strip_bash_colors(output)
+        output = output.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
 
         return (exit_code, output)
 
@@ -970,10 +966,7 @@ class TelnetConnection(SshConnectionBase):
                 logger.debug(command)
             self._sendline(command)
         timed_out = self._wait_for_prompt(timeout)
-        if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-            output = process_backspaces(self.conn.before.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace'))
-        else:
-            output = process_backspaces(self.conn.before)
+        output = process_backspaces(self.conn.before.decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace'))
 
         if timed_out:
             self.cancel_running_command()
diff --git a/devlib/utils/types.py b/devlib/utils/types.py
index f212930..d7c8864 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/types.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/types.py
@@ -136,35 +136,25 @@ def bitmask(value):
 regex_type = type(re.compile(''))
 
 
-if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-    def regex(value):
-        if isinstance(value, regex_type):
-            if isinstance(value.pattern, str):
-                return value
-            return re.compile(value.pattern.decode(),
-                              value.flags | re.UNICODE)
-        else:
-            if isinstance(value, bytes):
-                value = value.decode()
-            return re.compile(value)
-
-
-    def bytes_regex(value):
-        if isinstance(value, regex_type):
-            if isinstance(value.pattern, bytes):
-                return value
-            return re.compile(value.pattern.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8'),
-                              value.flags & ~re.UNICODE)
-        else:
-            if isinstance(value, str):
-                value = value.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
-            return re.compile(value)
-else:
-    def regex(value):
-        if isinstance(value, regex_type):
+def regex(value):
+    if isinstance(value, regex_type):
+        if isinstance(value.pattern, str):
             return value
-        else:
-            return re.compile(value)
+        return re.compile(value.pattern.decode(),
+                          value.flags | re.UNICODE)
+    else:
+        if isinstance(value, bytes):
+            value = value.decode()
+        return re.compile(value)
 
 
-    bytes_regex = regex
+def bytes_regex(value):
+    if isinstance(value, regex_type):
+        if isinstance(value.pattern, bytes):
+            return value
+        return re.compile(value.pattern.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8'),
+                          value.flags & ~re.UNICODE)
+    else:
+        if isinstance(value, str):
+            value = value.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8')
+        return re.compile(value)
diff --git a/devlib/utils/version.py b/devlib/utils/version.py
index a44498b..ec6a3f1 100644
--- a/devlib/utils/version.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/version.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def get_commit():
     p.wait()
     if p.returncode:
         return None
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3 and isinstance(std, bytes):
+    if isinstance(std, bytes):
         return std[:8].decode(sys.stdout.encoding or 'utf-8', 'replace')
     else:
         return std[:8]