diff --git a/src/addresses.py b/src/addresses.py
index 1ac5ea40..79d4c075 100644
--- a/src/addresses.py
+++ b/src/addresses.py
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 """
 Operations with addresses
 """
-# pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name,inconsistent-return-statements
-import sys
+# pylint: disable=inconsistent-return-statements
 import hashlib
 import logging
 from binascii import hexlify, unhexlify
@@ -151,30 +150,18 @@ def encodeAddress(version, stream, ripe):
                 ' a given ripe hash was not 20.'
             )
 
-        if isinstance(ripe, str):
-            if ripe[:2] == '\x00\x00':
-                ripe = ripe[2:]
-            elif ripe[:1] == '\x00':
-                ripe = ripe[1:]
-        else:
-            if ripe[:2] == b'\x00\x00':
-                ripe = ripe[2:]
-            elif ripe[:1] == b'\x00':
-                ripe = ripe[1:]
+        if ripe[:2] == b'\x00\x00':
+            ripe = ripe[2:]
+        elif ripe[:1] == b'\x00':
+            ripe = ripe[1:]
     elif version == 4:
         if len(ripe) != 20:
             raise Exception(
                 'Programming error in encodeAddress: The length of'
                 ' a given ripe hash was not 20.')
-        ripe = ripe.lstrip('\x00')
+        ripe = ripe.lstrip(b'\x00')
 
-    if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-        if isinstance(ripe, str):
-            storedBinaryData = encodeVarint(version) + encodeVarint(stream) + ripe.encode('utf-8')
-        else:
-            storedBinaryData = encodeVarint(version) + encodeVarint(stream) + ripe
-    else:
-        storedBinaryData = encodeVarint(version) + encodeVarint(stream) + ripe
+    storedBinaryData = encodeVarint(version) + encodeVarint(stream) + ripe
 
     # Generate the checksum
     sha = hashlib.new('sha512')
@@ -184,7 +171,10 @@ def encodeAddress(version, stream, ripe):
     sha.update(currentHash)
     checksum = sha.digest()[0:4]
 
+    # FIXME: encodeBase58 should take binary data, to reduce conversions
+    # encodeBase58(storedBinaryData + checksum)
     asInt = int(hexlify(storedBinaryData) + hexlify(checksum), 16)
+    # should it be str? If yes, it should be everywhere in the code
     return 'BM-' + encodeBase58(asInt)