diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 4ab35a4..28e7a80 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 language: python
 python:
+- 2.6
 - 2.7
+- 3.4
 - 3.5
 - pypy
 
diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..969c119
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import sys
+
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
+    good_python = sys.version_info >= (3, 5)
+else:
+    good_python = sys.version_info >= (2, 7)
+
+collect_ignore = []
+if not good_python:
+    collect_ignore.append("sshuttle/tests/client")
diff --git a/docs/requirements.rst b/docs/requirements.rst
index 0c66538..c35824f 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.rst
+++ b/docs/requirements.rst
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ cmd.exe with Administrator access. See :doc:`windows` for more information.
 
 Server side Requirements
 ------------------------
+Server requirements are more relaxed, however it is recommended that you use
 Python 2.7 or Python 3.5.
 
 
diff --git a/sshuttle/assembler.py b/sshuttle/assembler.py
index 330528d..137331e 100644
--- a/sshuttle/assembler.py
+++ b/sshuttle/assembler.py
@@ -4,19 +4,20 @@ import imp
 
 z = zlib.decompressobj()
 while 1:
-    name = stdin.readline().strip()
+    name = sys.stdin.readline().strip()
     if name:
         name = name.decode("ASCII")
 
-        nbytes = int(stdin.readline())
+        nbytes = int(sys.stdin.readline())
         if verbosity >= 2:
             sys.stderr.write('server: assembling %r (%d bytes)\n'
                              % (name, nbytes))
-        content = z.decompress(stdin.read(nbytes))
+        content = z.decompress(sys.stdin.read(nbytes))
 
         module = imp.new_module(name)
-        parent, _, parent_name = name.rpartition(".")
-        if parent != "":
+        parents = name.rsplit(".", 1)
+        if len(parents) == 2:
+            parent, parent_name = parents
             setattr(sys.modules[parent], parent_name, module)
 
         code = compile(content, name, "exec")
diff --git a/sshuttle/helpers.py b/sshuttle/helpers.py
index 4e80e33..67a6013 100644
--- a/sshuttle/helpers.py
+++ b/sshuttle/helpers.py
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ import errno
 logprefix = ''
 verbose = 0
 
+if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
+    binary_type = bytes
+
+    def b(s):
+        return s.encode("ASCII")
+else:
+    binary_type = str
+
+    def b(s):
+        return s
 
 def log(s):
     global logprefix
@@ -70,7 +80,8 @@ def islocal(ip, family):
     try:
         try:
             sock.bind((ip, 0))
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             if e.args[0] == errno.EADDRNOTAVAIL:
                 return False  # not a local IP
             else:
diff --git a/sshuttle/hostwatch.py b/sshuttle/hostwatch.py
index 95a539a..be210f9 100644
--- a/sshuttle/hostwatch.py
+++ b/sshuttle/hostwatch.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ hostnames = {}
 queue = {}
 try:
     null = open('/dev/null', 'wb')
-except IOError as e:
+except IOError:
+    _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
     log('warning: %s\n' % e)
     null = os.popen("sh -c 'while read x; do :; done'", 'wb', 4096)
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ def write_host_cache():
         for name, ip in sorted(hostnames.items()):
             f.write(('%s,%s\n' % (name, ip)).encode("ASCII"))
         f.close()
-        os.chmod(tmpname, 0o600)
+        os.chmod(tmpname, 384) # 600 in octal, 'rw-------'
         os.rename(tmpname, CACHEFILE)
     finally:
         try:
@@ -50,7 +51,8 @@ def write_host_cache():
 def read_host_cache():
     try:
         f = open(CACHEFILE)
-    except IOError as e:
+    except IOError:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         if e.errno == errno.ENOENT:
             return
         else:
@@ -124,7 +126,8 @@ def _check_netstat():
         p = ssubprocess.Popen(argv, stdout=ssubprocess.PIPE, stderr=null)
         content = p.stdout.read().decode("ASCII")
         p.wait()
-    except OSError as e:
+    except OSError:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         log('%r failed: %r\n' % (argv, e))
         return
 
@@ -144,7 +147,8 @@ def _check_smb(hostname):
         p = ssubprocess.Popen(argv, stdout=ssubprocess.PIPE, stderr=null)
         lines = p.stdout.readlines()
         p.wait()
-    except OSError as e:
+    except OSError:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         log('%r failed: %r\n' % (argv, e))
         _smb_ok = False
         return
@@ -201,7 +205,8 @@ def _check_nmb(hostname, is_workgroup, is_master):
         p = ssubprocess.Popen(argv, stdout=ssubprocess.PIPE, stderr=null)
         lines = p.stdout.readlines()
         rv = p.wait()
-    except OSError as e:
+    except OSError:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         log('%r failed: %r\n' % (argv, e))
         _nmb_ok = False
         return
diff --git a/sshuttle/server.py b/sshuttle/server.py
index 78252b8..a47c760 100644
--- a/sshuttle/server.py
+++ b/sshuttle/server.py
@@ -12,29 +12,29 @@ import sshuttle.helpers as helpers
 import sshuttle.hostwatch as hostwatch
 import subprocess as ssubprocess
 from sshuttle.ssnet import Handler, Proxy, Mux, MuxWrapper
-from sshuttle.helpers import log, debug1, debug2, debug3, Fatal, \
+from sshuttle.helpers import b, log, debug1, debug2, debug3, Fatal, \
     resolvconf_random_nameserver
 
 
 def _ipmatch(ipstr):
     # FIXME: IPv4 only
-    if ipstr == b'default':
-        ipstr = b'0.0.0.0/0'
-    m = re.match(b'^(\d+(\.\d+(\.\d+(\.\d+)?)?)?)(?:/(\d+))?$', ipstr)
+    if ipstr == 'default':
+        ipstr = '0.0.0.0/0'
+    m = re.match('^(\d+(\.\d+(\.\d+(\.\d+)?)?)?)(?:/(\d+))?$', ipstr)
     if m:
         g = m.groups()
         ips = g[0]
         width = int(g[4] or 32)
         if g[1] is None:
-            ips += b'.0.0.0'
+            ips += '.0.0.0'
             width = min(width, 8)
         elif g[2] is None:
-            ips += b'.0.0'
+            ips += '.0.0'
             width = min(width, 16)
         elif g[3] is None:
-            ips += b'.0'
+            ips += '.0'
             width = min(width, 24)
-        ips = ips.decode("ASCII")
+        ips = ips
         return (struct.unpack('!I', socket.inet_aton(ips))[0], width)
 
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def _list_routes():
     p = ssubprocess.Popen(argv, stdout=ssubprocess.PIPE)
     routes = []
     for line in p.stdout:
-        cols = re.split(b'\s+', line)
+        cols = re.split(r'\s+', line.decode("ASCII"))
         ipw = _ipmatch(cols[0])
         if not ipw:
             continue  # some lines won't be parseable; never mind
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ class DnsProxy(Handler):
         try:
             sock.send(self.request)
             self.socks.append(sock)
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             if e.args[0] in ssnet.NET_ERRS:
                 # might have been spurious; try again.
                 # Note: these errors sometimes are reported by recv(),
@@ -169,7 +170,8 @@ class DnsProxy(Handler):
 
         try:
             data = sock.recv(4096)
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             self.socks.remove(sock)
             del self.peers[sock]
 
@@ -204,14 +206,16 @@ class UdpProxy(Handler):
         debug2('UDP: sending to %r port %d\n' % dstip)
         try:
             self.sock.sendto(data, dstip)
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             log('UDP send to %r port %d: %s\n' % (dstip[0], dstip[1], e))
             return
 
     def callback(self, sock):
         try:
             data, peer = sock.recvfrom(4096)
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             log('UDP recv from %r port %d: %s\n' % (peer[0], peer[1], e))
             return
         debug2('UDP response: %d bytes\n' % len(data))
@@ -244,26 +248,26 @@ def main(latency_control):
               socket.fromfd(sys.stdout.fileno(),
                             socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM))
     handlers.append(mux)
-    routepkt = b''
+    routepkt = ''
     for r in routes:
-        routepkt += b'%d,%s,%d\n' % (r[0], r[1].encode("ASCII"), r[2])
-    mux.send(0, ssnet.CMD_ROUTES, routepkt)
+        routepkt += '%d,%s,%d\n' % r
+    mux.send(0, ssnet.CMD_ROUTES, b(routepkt))
 
     hw = Hostwatch()
-    hw.leftover = b''
+    hw.leftover = b('')
 
     def hostwatch_ready(sock):
         assert(hw.pid)
         content = hw.sock.recv(4096)
         if content:
-            lines = (hw.leftover + content).split(b'\n')
+            lines = (hw.leftover + content).split(b('\n'))
             if lines[-1]:
                 # no terminating newline: entry isn't complete yet!
                 hw.leftover = lines.pop()
-                lines.append(b'')
+                lines.append(b(''))
             else:
-                hw.leftover = b''
-            mux.send(0, ssnet.CMD_HOST_LIST, b'\n'.join(lines))
+                hw.leftover = b('')
+            mux.send(0, ssnet.CMD_HOST_LIST, b('\n').join(lines))
         else:
             raise Fatal('hostwatch process died')
 
@@ -275,7 +279,7 @@ def main(latency_control):
     mux.got_host_req = got_host_req
 
     def new_channel(channel, data):
-        (family, dstip, dstport) = data.split(b',', 2)
+        (family, dstip, dstport) = data.decode("ASCII").split(',', 2)
         family = int(family)
         dstport = int(dstport)
         outwrap = ssnet.connect_dst(family, dstip, dstport)
diff --git a/sshuttle/ssh.py b/sshuttle/ssh.py
index cc89c0d..1a571d5 100644
--- a/sshuttle/ssh.py
+++ b/sshuttle/ssh.py
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@ def connect(ssh_cmd, rhostport, python, stderr, options):
                 b"\n")
 
     pyscript = r"""
-                import sys;
+                import sys, os;
                 verbosity=%d;
-                stdin=getattr(sys.stdin,"buffer",sys.stdin);
-                exec(compile(stdin.read(%d), "assembler.py", "exec"))
+                sys.stdin = os.fdopen(0, "rb");
+                exec(compile(sys.stdin.read(%d), "assembler.py", "exec"))
                 """ % (helpers.verbose or 0, len(content))
     pyscript = re.sub(r'\s+', ' ', pyscript.strip())
 
diff --git a/sshuttle/ssnet.py b/sshuttle/ssnet.py
index 218e7b5..fe1de1e 100644
--- a/sshuttle/ssnet.py
+++ b/sshuttle/ssnet.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
+import sys
 import struct
 import socket
 import errno
 import select
 import os
-from sshuttle.helpers import log, debug1, debug2, debug3, Fatal
+from sshuttle.helpers import b, binary_type, log, debug1, debug2, debug3, Fatal
 
 MAX_CHANNEL = 65535
 
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ def _fds(l):
 def _nb_clean(func, *args):
     try:
         return func(*args)
-    except OSError as e:
+    except OSError:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         if e.errno not in (errno.EWOULDBLOCK, errno.EAGAIN):
             raise
         else:
@@ -88,7 +90,8 @@ def _try_peername(sock):
         pn = sock.getpeername()
         if pn:
             return '%s:%s' % (pn[0], pn[1])
-    except socket.error as e:
+    except socket.error:
+        _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
         if e.args[0] not in (errno.ENOTCONN, errno.ENOTSOCK):
             raise
     return 'unknown'
@@ -144,7 +147,8 @@ class SockWrapper:
             self.rsock.connect(self.connect_to)
             # connected successfully (Linux)
             self.connect_to = None
-        except socket.error as e:
+        except socket.error:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             debug3('%r: connect result: %s\n' % (self, e))
             if e.args[0] == errno.EINVAL:
                 # this is what happens when you call connect() on a socket
@@ -191,7 +195,8 @@ class SockWrapper:
             self.shut_write = True
             try:
                 self.wsock.shutdown(SHUT_WR)
-            except socket.error as e:
+            except socket.error:
+                _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
                 self.seterr('nowrite: %s' % e)
 
     def too_full(self):
@@ -203,7 +208,8 @@ class SockWrapper:
         self.wsock.setblocking(False)
         try:
             return _nb_clean(os.write, self.wsock.fileno(), buf)
-        except OSError as e:
+        except OSError:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             if e.errno == errno.EPIPE:
                 debug1('%r: uwrite: got EPIPE\n' % self)
                 self.nowrite()
@@ -225,9 +231,10 @@ class SockWrapper:
         self.rsock.setblocking(False)
         try:
             return _nb_clean(os.read, self.rsock.fileno(), 65536)
-        except OSError as e:
+        except OSError:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             self.seterr('uread: %s' % e)
-            return b''  # unexpected error... we'll call it EOF
+            return b('')  # unexpected error... we'll call it EOF
 
     def fill(self):
         if self.buf:
@@ -235,7 +242,7 @@ class SockWrapper:
         rb = self.uread()
         if rb:
             self.buf.append(rb)
-        if rb == b'':  # empty string means EOF; None means temporarily empty
+        if rb == b(''):  # empty string means EOF; None means temporarily empty
             self.noread()
 
     def copy_to(self, outwrap):
@@ -333,11 +340,11 @@ class Mux(Handler):
         self.channels = {}
         self.chani = 0
         self.want = 0
-        self.inbuf = b''
+        self.inbuf = b('')
         self.outbuf = []
         self.fullness = 0
         self.too_full = False
-        self.send(0, CMD_PING, b'chicken')
+        self.send(0, CMD_PING, b('chicken'))
 
     def next_channel(self):
         # channel 0 is special, so we never allocate it
@@ -357,7 +364,7 @@ class Mux(Handler):
     def check_fullness(self):
         if self.fullness > 32768:
             if not self.too_full:
-                self.send(0, CMD_PING, b'rttest')
+                self.send(0, CMD_PING, b('rttest'))
             self.too_full = True
         # ob = []
         # for b in self.outbuf:
@@ -366,9 +373,9 @@ class Mux(Handler):
         # log('outbuf: %d %r\n' % (self.amount_queued(), ob))
 
     def send(self, channel, cmd, data):
-        assert isinstance(data, bytes)
+        assert isinstance(data, binary_type)
         assert len(data) <= 65535
-        p = struct.pack('!ccHHH', b'S', b'S', channel, cmd, len(data)) + data
+        p = struct.pack('!ccHHH', b('S'), b('S'), channel, cmd, len(data)) + data
         self.outbuf.append(p)
         debug2(' > channel=%d cmd=%s len=%d (fullness=%d)\n'
                % (channel, cmd_to_name.get(cmd, hex(cmd)),
@@ -434,14 +441,15 @@ class Mux(Handler):
     def fill(self):
         self.rsock.setblocking(False)
         try:
-            b = _nb_clean(os.read, self.rsock.fileno(), 32768)
-        except OSError as e:
+            read = _nb_clean(os.read, self.rsock.fileno(), 32768)
+        except OSError:
+            _, e = sys.exc_info()[:2]
             raise Fatal('other end: %r' % e)
         # log('<<< %r\n' % b)
-        if b == b'':  # EOF
+        if read == b(''):  # EOF
             self.ok = False
-        if b:
-            self.inbuf += b
+        if read:
+            self.inbuf += read
 
     def handle(self):
         self.fill()
@@ -451,8 +459,8 @@ class Mux(Handler):
             if len(self.inbuf) >= (self.want or HDR_LEN):
                 (s1, s2, channel, cmd, datalen) = \
                     struct.unpack('!ccHHH', self.inbuf[:HDR_LEN])
-                assert(s1 == b'S')
-                assert(s2 == b'S')
+                assert(s1 == b('S'))
+                assert(s2 == b('S'))
                 self.want = datalen + HDR_LEN
             if self.want and len(self.inbuf) >= self.want:
                 data = self.inbuf[HDR_LEN:self.want]
@@ -496,14 +504,14 @@ class MuxWrapper(SockWrapper):
         if not self.shut_read:
             debug2('%r: done reading\n' % self)
             self.shut_read = True
-            self.mux.send(self.channel, CMD_TCP_STOP_SENDING, b'')
+            self.mux.send(self.channel, CMD_TCP_STOP_SENDING, b(''))
             self.maybe_close()
 
     def nowrite(self):
         if not self.shut_write:
             debug2('%r: done writing\n' % self)
             self.shut_write = True
-            self.mux.send(self.channel, CMD_TCP_EOF, b'')
+            self.mux.send(self.channel, CMD_TCP_EOF, b(''))
             self.maybe_close()
 
     def maybe_close(self):
@@ -526,7 +534,7 @@ class MuxWrapper(SockWrapper):
 
     def uread(self):
         if self.shut_read:
-            return b''  # EOF
+            return b('')  # EOF
         else:
             return None  # no data available right now
 
diff --git a/sshuttle/tests/server/test_server.py b/sshuttle/tests/server/test_server.py
index bf6985f..6b437f7 100644
--- a/sshuttle/tests/server/test_server.py
+++ b/sshuttle/tests/server/test_server.py
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ from mock import patch, Mock, call
 
 
 def test__ipmatch():
-    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch(b"1.2.3.4") is not None
-    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch(b"::1") is None   # ipv6 not supported
-    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch(b"42 Example Street, Melbourne") is None
+    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch("1.2.3.4") is not None
+    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch("::1") is None   # ipv6 not supported
+    assert sshuttle.server._ipmatch("42 Example Street, Melbourne") is None
 
 
 def test__ipstr():
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def test__ipstr():
 
 
 def test__maskbits():
-    netmask = sshuttle.server._ipmatch(b"255.255.255.0")
+    netmask = sshuttle.server._ipmatch("255.255.255.0")
     sshuttle.server._maskbits(netmask)
 
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index e2e93f8..2b66655 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 [tox]
 downloadcache = {toxworkdir}/cache/
 envlist =
+    py26,
     py27,
+    py34,
     py35,
 
 [testenv]
 basepython =
+    py26: python2.6
     py27: python2.7
+    py34: python3.4
     py35: python3.5
 commands =
     py.test