diff --git a/weboob/backends/aum/browser.py b/weboob/backends/aum/browser.py
index f7ce8033..2f348cdd 100644
--- a/weboob/backends/aum/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/backends/aum/browser.py
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ class AuMBrowser(BaseBrowser):
 
     @pageaccess
     def get_profile(self, link):
-        if isinstance(link, (str,unicode)) and link.startswith('/'):
+        if isinstance(link, basestring) and link.startswith('/'):
             link = link[1:]
         self.location('/%s' % link)
         return self.page
diff --git a/weboob/backends/bnporc/browser.py b/weboob/backends/bnporc/browser.py
index a11d3e9c..0173f632 100644
--- a/weboob/backends/bnporc/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/backends/bnporc/browser.py
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ class BNPorc(BaseBrowser):
         return not self.is_on_page(pages.LoginPage) or self.is_logging
 
     def login(self):
-        assert isinstance(self.username, (str,unicode))
-        assert isinstance(self.password, (str,unicode))
+        assert isinstance(self.username, basestring)
+        assert isinstance(self.password, basestring)
         assert self.password.isdigit()
 
         if not self.is_on_page(pages.LoginPage):
diff --git a/weboob/backends/cragr/browser.py b/weboob/backends/cragr/browser.py
index 034c70e1..98cbf556 100644
--- a/weboob/backends/cragr/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/backends/cragr/browser.py
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ class Cragr(BaseBrowser):
         return self.page and self.page.is_logged() or self.is_logging
 
     def login(self):
-        assert isinstance(self.username, (str,unicode))
-        assert isinstance(self.password, (str,unicode))
+        assert isinstance(self.username, basestring)
+        assert isinstance(self.password, basestring)
 
         self.is_logging = True
         if not self.is_on_page(pages.LoginPage):
diff --git a/weboob/core/backends.py b/weboob/core/backends.py
index 8ae7577c..85ab382b 100644
--- a/weboob/core/backends.py
+++ b/weboob/core/backends.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class Backend(object):
 
     def has_caps(self, *caps):
         for c in caps:
-            if (isinstance(c, (unicode,str)) and c in [cap.__name__ for cap in self.iter_caps()]) or \
+            if (isinstance(c, basestring) and c in [cap.__name__ for cap in self.iter_caps()]) or \
                (type(c) == type and issubclass(self.klass, c)):
                 return True
         return False
diff --git a/weboob/core/bcall.py b/weboob/core/bcall.py
index 504bfad4..e5853940 100644
--- a/weboob/core/bcall.py
+++ b/weboob/core/bcall.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class BackendsCall(object):
                 else:
                     debug('%s: Called function %s returned: %r' % (backend, function, result))
 
-                    if hasattr(result, '__iter__') and not isinstance(result, (str,unicode)):
+                    if hasattr(result, '__iter__') and not isinstance(result, basestring):
                         # Loop on iterator
                         try:
                             for subresult in result:
diff --git a/weboob/core/ouiboube.py b/weboob/core/ouiboube.py
index 5dc4bd32..602031a9 100644
--- a/weboob/core/ouiboube.py
+++ b/weboob/core/ouiboube.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class Weboob(object):
         return loaded
 
     def unload_backends(self, names=None):
-        if isinstance(names, (str,unicode)):
+        if isinstance(names, basestring):
             names = [names]
         elif names is None:
             names = self.backend_instances.keys()
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ class Weboob(object):
         if _backends:
             if isinstance(_backends, BaseBackend):
                 backends = [_backends]
-            elif isinstance(_backends, (str,unicode)) and _backends:
+            elif isinstance(_backends, basestring) and _backends:
                 backends = [self.backend_instances[_backends]]
             elif isinstance(_backends, (list,tuple)):
                 backends = []
                 for backend in _backends:
-                    if isinstance(backend, (str,unicode)):
+                    if isinstance(backend, basestring):
                         try:
                             backends.append(self.backend_instances[backend])
                         except ValueError:
diff --git a/weboob/tools/application/console.py b/weboob/tools/application/console.py
index 86b7152c..23511981 100644
--- a/weboob/tools/application/console.py
+++ b/weboob/tools/application/console.py
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class ConsoleApplication(BaseApplication):
             if caps is not None:
                 if not isinstance(caps, (list, tuple, set)):
                     caps = (caps,)
-                caps = [(cap if isinstance(cap, (str,unicode)) else cap.__name__) for cap in caps]
+                caps = [(cap if isinstance(cap, basestring) else cap.__name__) for cap in caps]
             weboobcfg.command_backends(*caps)
             logging.error(u'You can configure backends using the "weboob-config add" command:\nweboob-config add <name> [options..]')
             with open('/dev/null', 'w') as devnull:
diff --git a/weboob/tools/backend.py b/weboob/tools/backend.py
index d4ea0322..3c7ce9ea 100644
--- a/weboob/tools/backend.py
+++ b/weboob/tools/backend.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ class BaseBackend(object):
 
     def has_caps(self, *caps):
         for c in caps:
-            if (isinstance(c, (unicode,str)) and c in [cap.__name__ for cap in self.iter_caps()]) or \
+            if (isinstance(c, basestring) and c in [cap.__name__ for cap in self.iter_caps()]) or \
                isinstance(self, c):
                 return True
         return False
diff --git a/weboob/tools/browser/browser.py b/weboob/tools/browser/browser.py
index 1fb3b63f..4f18eb60 100644
--- a/weboob/tools/browser/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/tools/browser/browser.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class BaseBrowser(mechanize.Browser):
 
     def check_location(func):
         def inner(self, *args, **kwargs):
-            if args and isinstance(args[0], (str,unicode)) and args[0][0] == '/' and \
+            if args and isinstance(args[0], basestring) and args[0][0] == '/' and \
                (not self.request or self.request.host != self.DOMAIN):
                 args = ('%s://%s%s' % (self.PROTOCOL, self.DOMAIN, args[0]),) + args[1:]