diff --git a/model_utils/choices.py b/model_utils/choices.py
index 65097c7..b5177cd 100644
--- a/model_utils/choices.py
+++ b/model_utils/choices.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+
 class Choices(object):
     """
     A class to encapsulate handy functionality for lists of choices
@@ -72,4 +75,4 @@ class Choices(object):
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return '%s(%s)' % (self.__class__.__name__,
-                          ', '.join(("%s" % str(i) for i in self._full)))
+                          ', '.join(("%s" % repr(i) for i in self._full)))
diff --git a/model_utils/fields.py b/model_utils/fields.py
index 6dd6459..9178e1f 100644
--- a/model_utils/fields.py
+++ b/model_utils/fields.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 from datetime import datetime
 
 from django.db import models
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.utils.encoding import python_2_unicode_compatible
 
 
 try:
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ def get_excerpt(content):
 
     return '\n'.join(default_excerpt)
 
+@python_2_unicode_compatible
 class SplitText(object):
     def __init__(self, instance, field_name, excerpt_field_name):
         # instead of storing actual values store a reference to the instance
@@ -153,8 +156,7 @@ class SplitText(object):
         return self.excerpt.strip() != self.content.strip()
     has_more = property(_get_has_more)
 
-    # allows display via templates without .content necessary
-    def __unicode__(self):
+    def __str__(self):
         return self.content
 
 class SplitDescriptor(object):
diff --git a/model_utils/managers.py b/model_utils/managers.py
index 1f502ad..7c6c9f9 100644
--- a/model_utils/managers.py
+++ b/model_utils/managers.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import django
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models.fields.related import OneToOneField
diff --git a/model_utils/models.py b/model_utils/models.py
index 40e7aa8..ff8b375 100644
--- a/model_utils/models.py
+++ b/model_utils/models.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 from datetime import datetime
 
 from django.db import models
diff --git a/model_utils/tests/tests.py b/model_utils/tests/tests.py
index 02b69ce..2933f21 100644
--- a/model_utils/tests/tests.py
+++ b/model_utils/tests/tests.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from __future__ import with_statement
+from __future__ import unicode_literals, with_statement
 import pickle
 
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 import django
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models.fields import FieldDoesNotExist
+from django.utils.six import text_type
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured, FieldError
 from django.test import TestCase
 
@@ -47,8 +48,8 @@ class GetExcerptTests(TestCase):
 
 
 class SplitFieldTests(TestCase):
-    full_text = u'summary\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nmore'
-    excerpt = u'summary\n'
+    full_text = 'summary\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nmore'
+    excerpt = 'summary\n'
 
 
     def setUp(self):
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ class SplitFieldTests(TestCase):
 
 
     def test_unicode_content(self):
-        self.assertEquals(unicode(self.post.body), self.full_text)
+        self.assertEquals(text_type(self.post.body), self.full_text)
 
 
     def test_excerpt(self):
@@ -85,17 +86,17 @@ class SplitFieldTests(TestCase):
 
 
     def test_assign_to_body(self):
-        new_text = u'different\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nother'
+        new_text = 'different\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nother'
         self.post.body = new_text
         self.post.save()
-        self.assertEquals(unicode(self.post.body), new_text)
+        self.assertEquals(text_type(self.post.body), new_text)
 
 
     def test_assign_to_content(self):
-        new_text = u'different\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nother'
+        new_text = 'different\n\n<!-- split -->\n\nother'
         self.post.body.content = new_text
         self.post.save()
-        self.assertEquals(unicode(self.post.body), new_text)
+        self.assertEquals(text_type(self.post.body), new_text)
 
 
     def test_assign_to_excerpt(self):
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ class SplitFieldTests(TestCase):
     def test_assign_splittext(self):
         a = Article(title='Some Title')
         a.body = self.post.body
-        self.assertEquals(a.body.excerpt, u'summary\n')
+        self.assertEquals(a.body.excerpt, 'summary\n')
 
 
     def test_value_to_string(self):
diff --git a/model_utils/tracker.py b/model_utils/tracker.py
index 9a83f1d..a366490 100644
--- a/model_utils/tracker.py
+++ b/model_utils/tracker.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 from django.db import models
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError