diff --git a/tools/exec_util.py b/tools/exec_util.py
index ceabc5b090..554273693c 100644
--- a/tools/exec_util.py
+++ b/tools/exec_util.py
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ def exec_cmd(cmd, path, input_string=None):
           stdout=PIPE,
           stderr=PIPE,
           shell=(sys.platform == 'win32'))
-      out, err = process.communicate(input=input_string)
-  except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+      out, err = process.communicate(input=input_string.encode('utf-8'))
+  except IOError as e:
+    errno, strerror = e.args
     raise
   except:
     raise
diff --git a/tools/file_util.py b/tools/file_util.py
index a5fb76585c..469ca32541 100644
--- a/tools/file_util.py
+++ b/tools/file_util.py
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ def read_file(name, normalize = True):
             # normalize line endings
             data = data.replace("\r\n", "\n")
         return data
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to read file '+name+': '+strerror)
         raise
     else:
@@ -30,7 +31,8 @@ def write_file(name, data):
         f = open(name, 'w')
         # write the data
         f.write(data)
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+       errno, strerror = e.args
        sys.stderr.write('Failed to write file '+name+': '+strerror)
        raise
     else:
@@ -50,7 +52,8 @@ def copy_file(src, dst, quiet = True):
         shutil.copy(src, dst)
         if not quiet:
             sys.stdout.write('Transferring '+src+' file.\n')
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to copy file from '+src+' to '+dst+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
@@ -60,7 +63,8 @@ def move_file(src, dst, quiet = True):
         shutil.move(src, dst)
         if not quiet:
             sys.stdout.write('Moving '+src+' file.\n')
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to move file from '+src+' to '+dst+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
@@ -80,7 +84,8 @@ def remove_file(name, quiet = True):
             os.remove(name)
             if not quiet:
                 sys.stdout.write('Removing '+name+' file.\n')
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to remove file '+name+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
@@ -91,7 +96,8 @@ def copy_dir(src, dst, quiet = True):
         shutil.copytree(src, dst)
         if not quiet:
             sys.stdout.write('Transferring '+src+' directory.\n')
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to copy directory from '+src+' to '+dst+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
@@ -102,7 +108,8 @@ def remove_dir(name, quiet = True):
             shutil.rmtree(name)
             if not quiet:
                 sys.stdout.write('Removing '+name+' directory.\n')
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to remove directory '+name+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
@@ -113,7 +120,8 @@ def make_dir(name, quiet = True):
             if not quiet:
                 sys.stdout.write('Creating '+name+' directory.\n')
             os.makedirs(name)
-    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
+    except IOError as e:
+        errno, strerror = e.args
         sys.stderr.write('Failed to create directory '+name+': '+strerror)
         raise
 
diff --git a/tools/git_util.py b/tools/git_util.py
index b6aa0fa977..bc293e41f5 100644
--- a/tools/git_util.py
+++ b/tools/git_util.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def git_apply_patch_file(patch_path, patch_dir):
     sys.stdout.write('... patch file does not exist.\n')
     return 'fail'
 
-  patch_string = open(patch_path, 'rb').read()
+  patch_string = open(patch_path, 'rb').read().decode('utf-8')
   if sys.platform == 'win32':
     # Convert the patch to Unix line endings. This is necessary to avoid
     # whitespace errors with git apply.
@@ -97,19 +97,19 @@ def git_apply_patch_file(patch_path, patch_dir):
   # Output patch contents.
   cmd = '%s apply -p0 --numstat' % git_exe
   result = exec_cmd(cmd, patch_dir, patch_string)
-  write_indented_output(result['out'].replace('<stdin>', patch_name))
+  write_indented_output(result['out'].decode('utf-8').replace('<stdin>', patch_name))
 
   # Reverse check to see if the patch has already been applied.
   cmd = '%s apply -p0 --reverse --check' % git_exe
   result = exec_cmd(cmd, patch_dir, patch_string)
-  if result['err'].find('error:') < 0:
+  if result['err'].decode('utf-8').find('error:') < 0:
     sys.stdout.write('... already applied (skipping).\n')
     return 'skip'
 
   # Normal check to see if the patch can be applied cleanly.
   cmd = '%s apply -p0 --check' % git_exe
   result = exec_cmd(cmd, patch_dir, patch_string)
-  if result['err'].find('error:') >= 0:
+  if result['err'].decode('utf-8').find('error:') >= 0:
     sys.stdout.write('... failed to apply:\n')
     write_indented_output(result['err'].replace('<stdin>', patch_name))
     return 'fail'
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def git_apply_patch_file(patch_path, patch_dir):
   # command succeeded.
   cmd = '%s apply -p0' % git_exe
   result = exec_cmd(cmd, patch_dir, patch_string)
-  if result['err'] == '':
+  if result['err'].decode('utf-8') == '':
     sys.stdout.write('... successfully applied.\n')
   else:
     sys.stdout.write('... successfully applied (with warnings):\n')
diff --git a/tools/patcher.py b/tools/patcher.py
index 4dcf6e567e..907697702e 100644
--- a/tools/patcher.py
+++ b/tools/patcher.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def apply_patch_config():
 
   # Parse the configuration file.
   scope = {}
-  execfile(config_file, scope)
+  exec(open(config_file).read(),scope)
   patches = scope["patches"]
 
   results = {'apply': 0, 'skip': 0, 'fail': 0}