diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index cc805d3fd165fd..3d752f434bbafe 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import shlex
 import subprocess
 import shutil
-import string
 from distutils.spawn import find_executable as which
 
 # If not run from node/, cd to node/.
@@ -626,18 +625,14 @@ def print_verbose(x):
 
 def b(value):
   """Returns the string 'true' if value is truthy, 'false' otherwise."""
-  if value:
-    return 'true'
-  else:
-    return 'false'
+  return 'true' if value else 'false'
 
 def B(value):
   """Returns 1 if value is truthy, 0 otherwise."""
-  if value:
-    return 1
-  else:
-    return 0
+  return 1 if value else 0
 
+def to_utf8(s):
+  return s if isinstance(s, str) else s.decode("utf-8")
 
 def pkg_config(pkg):
   """Run pkg-config on the specified package
@@ -652,7 +647,7 @@ def pkg_config(pkg):
     try:
       proc = subprocess.Popen(shlex.split(pkg_config) + args,
                               stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-      val = proc.communicate()[0].strip()
+      val = to_utf8(proc.communicate()[0]).strip()
     except OSError as e:
       if e.errno != errno.ENOENT: raise e  # Unexpected error.
       return (None, None, None, None)  # No pkg-config/pkgconf installed.
@@ -668,10 +663,10 @@ def try_check_compiler(cc, lang):
   except OSError:
     return (False, False, '', '')
 
-  proc.stdin.write('__clang__ __GNUC__ __GNUC_MINOR__ __GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__ '
-                   '__clang_major__ __clang_minor__ __clang_patchlevel__')
+  proc.stdin.write(b'__clang__ __GNUC__ __GNUC_MINOR__ __GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__ '
+                   b'__clang_major__ __clang_minor__ __clang_patchlevel__')
 
-  values = (proc.communicate()[0].split() + ['0'] * 7)[0:7]
+  values = (to_utf8(proc.communicate()[0]).split() + ['0'] * 7)[0:7]
   is_clang = values[0] == '1'
   gcc_version = tuple(map(int, values[1:1+3]))
   clang_version = tuple(map(int, values[4:4+3])) if is_clang else None
@@ -696,7 +691,7 @@ def get_version_helper(cc, regexp):
        consider adjusting the CC environment variable if you installed
        it in a non-standard prefix.''')
 
-  match = re.search(regexp, proc.communicate()[1])
+  match = re.search(regexp, to_utf8(proc.communicate()[1]))
 
   if match:
     return match.group(2)
@@ -715,7 +710,7 @@ def get_nasm_version(asm):
     return '0'
 
   match = re.match(r"NASM version ([2-9]\.[0-9][0-9]+)",
-                   proc.communicate()[0])
+                   to_utf8(proc.communicate()[0]))
 
   if match:
     return match.group(1)
@@ -746,7 +741,7 @@ def get_gas_version(cc):
        consider adjusting the CC environment variable if you installed
        it in a non-standard prefix.''')
 
-  gas_ret = proc.communicate()[1]
+  gas_ret = to_utf8(proc.communicate()[1])
   match = re.match(r"GNU assembler version ([2-9]\.[0-9]+)", gas_ret)
 
   if match:
@@ -811,10 +806,8 @@ def cc_macros(cc=None):
        consider adjusting the CC environment variable if you installed
        it in a non-standard prefix.''')
 
-  p.stdin.write('\n')
-  out = p.communicate()[0]
-
-  out = str(out).split('\n')
+  p.stdin.write(b'\n')
+  out = to_utf8(p.communicate()[0]).split('\n')
 
   k = {}
   for line in out:
@@ -1294,7 +1287,7 @@ def glob_to_var(dir_base, dir_sub, patch_dir):
 
 def configure_intl(o):
   def icu_download(path):
-    depFile = 'tools/icu/current_ver.dep';
+    depFile = 'tools/icu/current_ver.dep'
     with open(depFile) as f:
       icus = json.load(f)
     # download ICU, if needed
@@ -1363,7 +1356,7 @@ def write_config(data, name):
     o['variables']['icu_small'] = b(True)
     locs = set(options.with_icu_locales.split(','))
     locs.add('root')  # must have root
-    o['variables']['icu_locales'] = string.join(locs,',')
+    o['variables']['icu_locales'] = ','.join(str(loc) for loc in locs)
     # We will check a bit later if we can use the canned deps/icu-small
   elif with_intl == 'full-icu':
     # full ICU
@@ -1503,7 +1496,7 @@ def write_config(data, name):
   elif int(icu_ver_major) < icu_versions['minimum_icu']:
     error('icu4c v%s.x is too old, v%d.x or later is required.' %
           (icu_ver_major, icu_versions['minimum_icu']))
-  icu_endianness = sys.byteorder[0];
+  icu_endianness = sys.byteorder[0]
   o['variables']['icu_ver_major'] = icu_ver_major
   o['variables']['icu_endianness'] = icu_endianness
   icu_data_file_l = 'icudt%s%s.dat' % (icu_ver_major, 'l')