diff --git a/demo/setup.py b/demo/setup.py
index fbcebce1..82a6ac8c 100644
--- a/demo/setup.py
+++ b/demo/setup.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ project_root = os.path.dirname(here)
 NAME = 'django-helpdesk-demodesk'
 DESCRIPTION = 'A demo Django project using django-helpdesk'
 README = open(os.path.join(here, 'README.rst')).read()
-VERSION = '0.2.6'
+VERSION = '0.3.0.dev1'
 #VERSION = open(os.path.join(project_root, 'VERSION')).read().strip()
 AUTHOR = 'django-helpdesk team'
 URL = 'https://github.com/django-helpdesk/django-helpdesk'
diff --git a/helpdesk/models.py b/helpdesk/models.py
index d9ba883d..6388827b 100644
--- a/helpdesk/models.py
+++ b/helpdesk/models.py
@@ -1131,7 +1131,10 @@ class UserSettings(models.Model):
         from helpdesk.lib import b64decode
         try:
             if six.PY3:
-                return pickle.loads(b64decode(bytes(self.settings_pickled, 'utf8')))
+                if type(self.settings_pickled) is bytes:
+                    return pickle.loads(b64decode(str(self.settings_pickled, 'utf8')))
+                else:
+                    return pickle.loads(b64decode(bytes(self.settings_pickled, 'utf8')))
             else:
                 return pickle.loads(b64decode(str(self.settings_pickled)))
         except pickle.UnpicklingError:
diff --git a/helpdesk/tests/test_navigation.py b/helpdesk/tests/test_navigation.py
index 0d702c62..95d29655 100644
--- a/helpdesk/tests/test_navigation.py
+++ b/helpdesk/tests/test_navigation.py
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ from django.urls import reverse
 from django.test import TestCase
 
 from helpdesk import settings as helpdesk_settings
-from helpdesk.tests.helpers import (get_staff_user, reload_urlconf, User, update_user_settings, delete_user_settings,
-                                    create_ticket)
+from helpdesk.tests.helpers import (get_staff_user, reload_urlconf, User, update_user_settings, delete_user_settings, create_ticket)
 
 
 class KBDisabledTestCase(TestCase):
diff --git a/quicktest.py b/quicktest.py
index 3fe6a5d4..bae19285 100644
--- a/quicktest.py
+++ b/quicktest.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class QuickDjangoTest(object):
         'django.contrib.sites',
         'django.contrib.staticfiles',
         'markdown_deux',
-        'bootstrapform',
+        'bootstrapform'
     )
     MIDDLEWARE = [
         'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',