diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7dd0167..0dfa9fa 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 language: python
 python:
-  - "2.5"
   - "2.6"
   - "2.7"
+  - "3.3"
 before_install:
   - export PIP_USE_MIRRORS=true
   - export PIP_INDEX_URL=https://simple.crate.io/
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ script:
 env:
   - DJANGO=1.3.3
   - DJANGO=1.4.1
+  - DJANGO=1.5rc1
diff --git a/configurations/base.py b/configurations/base.py
index a1f262d..4e4fbf8 100644
--- a/configurations/base.py
+++ b/configurations/base.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import six
 from django.conf import global_settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ install_failure = ("django-configurations settings importer wasn't "
 class SettingsBase(type):
 
     def __new__(cls, name, bases, attrs):
-        if bases != (object,):
+        if bases != (object,) and bases[0].__name__ != 'NewBase':
             # if this is actually a subclass in a settings module
             # we better check if the importer was correctly installed
             from . import importer
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class SettingsBase(type):
         return "<Settings '%s.%s'>" % (self.__module__, self.__name__)
 
 
-class Settings(object):
+class Settings(six.with_metaclass(SettingsBase)):
     """
     The base configuration class to inherit from.
 
@@ -57,4 +58,4 @@ class Settings(object):
     to the name of the class.
 
     """
-    __metaclass__ = SettingsBase
+    pass
diff --git a/configurations/importer.py b/configurations/importer.py
index 6933eca..43a6e84 100644
--- a/configurations/importer.py
+++ b/configurations/importer.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def install():
                              'DJANGO_CONFIGURATION environment variable will '
                              'be used.'),)
 
-        sys.meta_path.append(SettingsImporter())
+        sys.meta_path.insert(0, SettingsImporter())
         installed = True
 
         # now patch the active runserver command to show a nicer output
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class SettingsLoader(object):
                                        (self.name, mod.__package__))
         try:
             obj = cls()
-        except Exception, err:
+        except Exception as err:
             raise ImproperlyConfigured("Couldn't load settings '%s.%s': %s" %
                                        (mod.__name__, self.name, err))
         for name, value in uppercase_attributes(obj).items():
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 577b686..d41a1cb 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from setuptools import setup
 
 def read(*parts):
     file_path = path.join(path.dirname(__file__), *parts)
-    return codecs.open(file_path).read()
+    return codecs.open(file_path, encoding='utf-8').read()
 
 
 def find_version(*parts):