diff --git a/rq/compat/__init__.py b/rq/compat/__init__.py
index a10576f2..e08e4c05 100644
--- a/rq/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/rq/compat/__init__.py
@@ -39,3 +39,14 @@ else:
                 opfunc.__doc__ = getattr(int, opname).__doc__
                 setattr(cls, opname, opfunc)
         return cls
+
+
+PY2 = sys.version_info[0] < 3
+
+if PY2:
+    string_types = (str, unicode)
+    text_type = unicode
+
+else:
+    string_types = (str,)
+    text_type = str
diff --git a/rq/compat/dictconfig.py b/rq/compat/dictconfig.py
index 803b7cd6..c314afbe 100644
--- a/rq/compat/dictconfig.py
+++ b/rq/compat/dictconfig.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import logging.handlers
 import re
 import sys
 import types
+from rq.compat import string_types
 
 IDENTIFIER = re.compile('^[a-z_][a-z0-9_]*$', re.I)
 
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ class BaseConfigurator(object):
                  isinstance(value, tuple):
             value = ConvertingTuple(value)
             value.configurator = self
-        elif isinstance(value, basestring): # str for py3k
+        elif isinstance(value, string_types): # str for py3k
             m = self.CONVERT_PATTERN.match(value)
             if m:
                 d = m.groupdict()
diff --git a/rq/decorators.py b/rq/decorators.py
index 4d57c90e..d57b6ccd 100644
--- a/rq/decorators.py
+++ b/rq/decorators.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 from .queue import Queue
 from .connections import resolve_connection
 from .worker import DEFAULT_RESULT_TTL
+from rq.compat import string_types
 
 class job(object):
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ class job(object):
     def __call__(self, f):
         @wraps(f)
         def delay(*args, **kwargs):
-            if isinstance(self.queue, basestring):
+            if isinstance(self.queue, string_types):
                 queue = Queue(name=self.queue, connection=self.connection)
             else:
                 queue = self.queue
diff --git a/rq/job.py b/rq/job.py
index b3370b5e..61dd2473 100644
--- a/rq/job.py
+++ b/rq/job.py
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@ import importlib
 import inspect
 import times
 from uuid import uuid4
-from cPickle import loads, dumps, UnpicklingError
+try:
+    from cPickle import loads, dumps, UnpicklingError
+except ImportError: # noqa
+    from pickle import loads, dumps, UnpicklingError  # noqa
 from .local import LocalStack
 from .connections import resolve_connection
 from .exceptions import UnpickleError, NoSuchJobError
+from rq.compat import text_type
 
 
 def enum(name, *sequential, **named):
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ class Job(object):
         first time the ID is requested.
         """
         if self._id is None:
-            self._id = unicode(uuid4())
+            self._id = text_type(uuid4())
         return self._id
 
     def set_id(self, value):
diff --git a/rq/local.py b/rq/local.py
index e789c81e..555a6d12 100644
--- a/rq/local.py
+++ b/rq/local.py
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ except ImportError: # noqa
     try:
         from thread import get_ident  # noqa
     except ImportError: # noqa
-        from dummy_thread import get_ident  # noqa
+        try:
+            from _thread import get_ident  # noqa
+        except ImportError: # noqa
+            from dummy_thread import get_ident  # noqa
 
 
 def release_local(local):
diff --git a/rq/queue.py b/rq/queue.py
index d08311c8..f3b5f926 100644
--- a/rq/queue.py
+++ b/rq/queue.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from .connections import resolve_connection
 from .job import Job, Status
 from .exceptions import (NoSuchJobError, UnpickleError,
                          InvalidJobOperationError, DequeueTimeout)
-from .compat import total_ordering
+from .compat import total_ordering, string_types
 
 
 def get_failed_queue(connection=None):
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class Queue(object):
         * A string, representing the location of a function (must be
           meaningful to the import context of the workers)
         """
-        if not isinstance(f, basestring) and f.__module__ == '__main__':
+        if not isinstance(f, string_types) and f.__module__ == '__main__':
             raise ValueError(
                     'Functions from the __main__ module cannot be processed '
                     'by workers.')
diff --git a/tests/test_job.py b/tests/test_job.py
index 8f594724..31351788 100644
--- a/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_job.py
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from tests import RQTestCase
 from tests.fixtures import Number, some_calculation, say_hello, access_self
 from tests.helpers import strip_milliseconds
-from cPickle import loads
+try:
+    from cPickle import loads
+except ImportError:
+    from pickle import loads
 from rq.job import Job, get_current_job
 from rq.exceptions import NoSuchJobError, UnpickleError
 from rq.queue import Queue