diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 30bb898e..a6133efb 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
     def rerenderTabTreeSubscriptions(self):
         treeWidget = self.ui.treeWidgetSubscriptions
         folders = Ui_FolderWidget.folderWeight.keys()
-        folders.remove("new")
+        Ui_FolderWidget.folderWeight.pop("new", None)
 
         # sort ascending when creating
         if treeWidget.topLevelItemCount() == 0:
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
                 addressVersionNumber, streamNumberForAddress,
                 "regenerated deterministic address",
                 dialog.spinBoxNumberOfAddressesToMake.value(),
-                ustr(dialog.lineEditPassphrase.text()),
+                ustr(dialog.lineEditPassphrase.text()).encode("utf-8", "replace"),
                 dialog.checkBoxEighteenByteRipe.isChecked()
             ))
             self.ui.tabWidget.setCurrentIndex(
@@ -3770,7 +3770,7 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
     def setAvatar(self, addressAtCurrentRow):
         if not os.path.exists(state.appdata + 'avatars/'):
             os.makedirs(state.appdata + 'avatars/')
-        hash = hashlib.md5(addBMIfNotPresent(addressAtCurrentRow)).hexdigest()
+        hash = hashlib.md5(addBMIfNotPresent(addressAtCurrentRow).encode("utf-8", "replace")).hexdigest()
         extensions = [
             'PNG', 'GIF', 'JPG', 'JPEG', 'SVG', 'BMP', 'MNG', 'PBM',
             'PGM', 'PPM', 'TIFF', 'XBM', 'XPM', 'TGA']
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/addressvalidator.py b/src/bitmessageqt/addressvalidator.py
index 0dd87eb4..f1817437 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/addressvalidator.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/addressvalidator.py
@@ -153,11 +153,11 @@ class AddressPassPhraseValidatorMixin(object):
 
         # check through generator
         if address is None:
-            addressGeneratorQueue.put(('createChan', 4, 1, str_chan + ' ' + ustr(passPhrase), passPhrase, False))
+            addressGeneratorQueue.put(('createChan', 4, 1, str_chan + ' ' + ustr(passPhrase), passPhrase.encode("utf-8", "replace"), False))
         else:
             addressGeneratorQueue.put(
                 ('joinChan', addBMIfNotPresent(address),
-                 "{} {}".format(str_chan, passPhrase), passPhrase, False))
+                 "{} {}".format(str_chan, passPhrase), passPhrase.encode("utf-8", "replace"), False))
 
         if self.buttonBox.button(QtGui.QDialogButtonBox.Ok).hasFocus():
             return (self.returnValid(), s, pos)
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/newchandialog.py b/src/bitmessageqt/newchandialog.py
index c8088f76..aef4cd04 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/newchandialog.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/newchandialog.py
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ class NewChanDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
         if ustr(self.chanAddress.text()) == "":
             addressGeneratorQueue.put(
                 ('createChan', 4, 1, str_chan + ' ' + ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()),
-                 ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()),
+                 ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()).encode("utf-8", "replace"),
                  True))
         else:
             addressGeneratorQueue.put(
                 ('joinChan', addBMIfNotPresent(ustr(self.chanAddress.text())),
                  str_chan + ' ' + ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()),
-                 ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()),
+                 ustr(self.chanPassPhrase.text()).encode("utf-8", "replace"),
                  True))
         addressGeneratorReturnValue = apiAddressGeneratorReturnQueue.get(True)
         if addressGeneratorReturnValue and addressGeneratorReturnValue[0] != 'chan name does not match address':
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/utils.py b/src/bitmessageqt/utils.py
index 9f849b3b..3637e3ec 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/utils.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/utils.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def identiconize(address):
         # stripped from PIL and uses QT instead (by sendiulo, same license)
         import qidenticon
         icon_hash = hashlib.md5(
-            addBMIfNotPresent(address) + identiconsuffix).hexdigest()
+            (addBMIfNotPresent(address) + identiconsuffix).encode("utf-8", "replace")).hexdigest()
         use_two_colors = identicon_lib[:len('qidenticon_two')] == 'qidenticon_two'
         opacity = int(
             identicon_lib not in (
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def avatarize(address):
     falls back to identiconize(address)
     """
     idcon = QtGui.QIcon()
-    icon_hash = hashlib.md5(addBMIfNotPresent(address)).hexdigest()
+    icon_hash = hashlib.md5(addBMIfNotPresent(address).encode("utf-8", "replace")).hexdigest()
     if address == str_broadcast_subscribers:
         # don't hash [Broadcast subscribers]
         icon_hash = address
diff --git a/src/network/connectionpool.py b/src/network/connectionpool.py
index fcac9e7e..d8cd68b8 100644
--- a/src/network/connectionpool.py
+++ b/src/network/connectionpool.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class BMConnectionPool(object):
         Shortcut for combined list of connections from
         `inboundConnections` and `outboundConnections` dicts
         """
-        return self.inboundConnections.values() + self.outboundConnections.values()
+        return list(self.inboundConnections.values()) + list(self.outboundConnections.values())
 
     def establishedConnections(self):
         """Shortcut for list of connections having fullyEstablished == True"""
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ class BMConnectionPool(object):
                     i.set_state("close")
         for i in (
             self.connections()
-            + self.listeningSockets.values() + self.udpSockets.values()
+            + list(self.listeningSockets.values()) + list(self.udpSockets.values())
         ):
             if not (i.accepting or i.connecting or i.connected):
                 reaper.append(i)
diff --git a/src/network/knownnodes.py b/src/network/knownnodes.py
index 702f59c6..d8b9178b 100644
--- a/src/network/knownnodes.py
+++ b/src/network/knownnodes.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def saveKnownNodes(dirName=None):
     if dirName is None:
         dirName = state.appdata
     with knownNodesLock:
-        with open(os.path.join(dirName, 'knownnodes.dat'), 'wb') as output:
+        with open(os.path.join(dirName, 'knownnodes.dat'), 'w') as output:
             json_serialize_knownnodes(output)