diff --git a/bench/empty.py b/bench/empty.py
index b90319936..338ebf138 100644
--- a/bench/empty.py
+++ b/bench/empty.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import py
+import six
 
 for i in range(1000):
-    py.builtin.exec_("def test_func_%d(): pass" % i)
+    six.exec_("def test_func_%d(): pass" % i)
diff --git a/doc/en/example/assertion/failure_demo.py b/doc/en/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
index 0a104578c..def6ae2ef 100644
--- a/doc/en/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
+++ b/doc/en/example/assertion/failure_demo.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from pytest import raises
 import _pytest._code
-import py
+import six
 
 
 def otherfunc(a, b):
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def test_dynamic_compile_shows_nicely():
     name = "abc-123"
     module = imp.new_module(name)
     code = _pytest._code.compile(src, name, "exec")
-    py.builtin.exec_(code, module.__dict__)
+    six.exec_(code, module.__dict__)
     sys.modules[name] = module
     module.foo()
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
index d6c5cd90e..2662e4320 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from weakref import ref
 from _pytest.compat import _PY2, _PY3, PY35, safe_str
 from six import text_type
 import py
+import six
 
 builtin_repr = repr
 
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ class Frame(object):
         """
         f_locals = self.f_locals.copy()
         f_locals.update(vars)
-        py.builtin.exec_(code, self.f_globals, f_locals)
+        six.exec_(code, self.f_globals, f_locals)
 
     def repr(self, object):
         """ return a 'safe' (non-recursive, one-line) string repr for 'object'
diff --git a/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py b/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
index 4f96b9e8c..952cfb594 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ class AssertionRewritingHook(object):
             mod.__loader__ = self
             # Normally, this attribute is 3.4+
             mod.__spec__ = spec_from_file_location(name, co.co_filename, loader=self)
-            py.builtin.exec_(co, mod.__dict__)
+            six.exec_(co, mod.__dict__)
         except:  # noqa
             if name in sys.modules:
                 del sys.modules[name]
diff --git a/src/_pytest/fixtures.py b/src/_pytest/fixtures.py
index cc8921e65..c12691caa 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/fixtures.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/fixtures.py
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ class FixtureDef(object):
             if exceptions:
                 e = exceptions[0]
                 del exceptions  # ensure we don't keep all frames alive because of the traceback
-                py.builtin._reraise(*e)
+                six.reraise(*e)
 
         finally:
             hook = self._fixturemanager.session.gethookproxy(request.node.fspath)
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ class FixtureDef(object):
             result, cache_key, err = cached_result
             if my_cache_key == cache_key:
                 if err is not None:
-                    py.builtin._reraise(*err)
+                    six.reraise(*err)
                 else:
                     return result
             # we have a previous but differently parametrized fixture instance
diff --git a/src/_pytest/outcomes.py b/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
index 63b8453b7..0a66fcab4 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ exception classes and constants handling test outcomes
 as well as functions creating them
 """
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
-import py
 import sys
 
 
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ class OutcomeException(BaseException):
         if self.msg:
             val = self.msg
             if isinstance(val, bytes):
-                val = py._builtin._totext(val, errors="replace")
+                val = val.decode("UTF-8", errors="replace")
             return val
         return "<%s instance>" % (self.__class__.__name__,)
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/python.py b/src/_pytest/python.py
index e269b3bb4..45ef3be61 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python.py
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ class FunctionMixin(PyobjMixin):
     def _repr_failure_py(self, excinfo, style="long"):
         if excinfo.errisinstance(fail.Exception):
             if not excinfo.value.pytrace:
-                return py._builtin._totext(excinfo.value)
+                return six.text_type(excinfo.value)
         return super(FunctionMixin, self)._repr_failure_py(excinfo, style=style)
 
     def repr_failure(self, excinfo, outerr=None):
diff --git a/src/_pytest/python_api.py b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
index abc4d1e17..6cd17de25 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import sys
 from numbers import Number
 from decimal import Decimal
 
-import py
+import six
 from six.moves import zip, filterfalse
 from more_itertools.more import always_iterable
 
@@ -680,8 +680,8 @@ def raises(expected_exception, *args, **kwargs):
         # print "raises frame scope: %r" % frame.f_locals
         try:
             code = _pytest._code.Source(code).compile()
-            py.builtin.exec_(code, frame.f_globals, loc)
-            # XXX didn'T mean f_globals == f_locals something special?
+            six.exec_(code, frame.f_globals, loc)
+            # XXX didn't mean f_globals == f_locals something special?
             #     this is destroyed here ...
         except expected_exception:
             return _pytest._code.ExceptionInfo()
diff --git a/src/_pytest/recwarn.py b/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
index 177757f27..0eee4c841 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/recwarn.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 import inspect
 
 import _pytest._code
-import py
+import re
 import sys
 import warnings
 
-import re
+import six
 
 from _pytest.fixtures import yield_fixture
 from _pytest.outcomes import fail
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def warns(expected_warning, *args, **kwargs):
 
         with WarningsChecker(expected_warning, match_expr=match_expr):
             code = _pytest._code.Source(code).compile()
-            py.builtin.exec_(code, frame.f_globals, loc)
+            six.exec_(code, frame.f_globals, loc)
     else:
         func = args[0]
         with WarningsChecker(expected_warning, match_expr=match_expr):
diff --git a/src/_pytest/runner.py b/src/_pytest/runner.py
index 5739bbef0..1ba9ff310 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/runner.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/runner.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 import sys
 from time import time
 
-import py
+import six
 from _pytest._code.code import ExceptionInfo
 from _pytest.outcomes import skip, Skipped, TEST_OUTCOME
 
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ class SetupState(object):
                 if exc is None:
                     exc = sys.exc_info()
         if exc:
-            py.builtin._reraise(*exc)
+            six.reraise(*exc)
 
     def _teardown_with_finalization(self, colitem):
         self._callfinalizers(colitem)
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ class SetupState(object):
                 if exc is None:
                     exc = sys.exc_info()
         if exc:
-            py.builtin._reraise(*exc)
+            six.reraise(*exc)
 
     def prepare(self, colitem):
         """ setup objects along the collector chain to the test-method
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ class SetupState(object):
         # check if the last collection node has raised an error
         for col in self.stack:
             if hasattr(col, "_prepare_exc"):
-                py.builtin._reraise(*col._prepare_exc)
+                six.reraise(*col._prepare_exc)
         for col in needed_collectors[len(self.stack) :]:
             self.stack.append(col)
             try:
diff --git a/testing/code/test_code.py b/testing/code/test_code.py
index e098f136d..27916d64f 100644
--- a/testing/code/test_code.py
+++ b/testing/code/test_code.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 import sys
 
 import _pytest._code
-import py
 import pytest
 from test_excinfo import TWMock
 from six import text_type
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ def test_code_from_func():
 
 
 def test_unicode_handling():
-    value = py.builtin._totext("\xc4\x85\xc4\x87\n", "utf-8").encode("utf8")
+    value = u"ąć".encode("UTF-8")
 
     def f():
         raise Exception(value)
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ def test_unicode_handling():
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info[0] >= 3, reason="python 2 only issue")
 def test_unicode_handling_syntax_error():
-    value = py.builtin._totext("\xc4\x85\xc4\x87\n", "utf-8").encode("utf8")
+    value = u"ąć".encode("UTF-8")
 
     def f():
         raise SyntaxError("invalid syntax", (None, 1, 3, value))
diff --git a/testing/code/test_excinfo.py b/testing/code/test_excinfo.py
index fbdaeacf7..f8bf25b68 100644
--- a/testing/code/test_excinfo.py
+++ b/testing/code/test_excinfo.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import textwrap
 import _pytest
 import py
 import pytest
+import six
 from _pytest._code.code import (
     ExceptionInfo,
     FormattedExcinfo,
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ class TestTraceback_f_g_h(object):
             import sys
 
             exc, val, tb = sys.exc_info()
-            py.builtin._reraise(exc, val, tb)
+            six.reraise(exc, val, tb)
 
         def f(n):
             try:
@@ -884,10 +885,10 @@ raise ValueError()
 
         class MyRepr(TerminalRepr):
             def toterminal(self, tw):
-                tw.line(py.builtin._totext("я", "utf-8"))
+                tw.line(u"я")
 
-        x = py.builtin._totext(MyRepr())
-        assert x == py.builtin._totext("я", "utf-8")
+        x = six.text_type(MyRepr())
+        assert x == u"я"
 
     def test_toterminal_long(self, importasmod):
         mod = importasmod(
diff --git a/testing/code/test_source.py b/testing/code/test_source.py
index 995fabcf4..d7e8fe422 100644
--- a/testing/code/test_source.py
+++ b/testing/code/test_source.py
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import inspect
 import sys
 
 import _pytest._code
-import py
 import pytest
+import six
 from _pytest._code import Source
 from _pytest._code.source import ast
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ class TestSourceParsingAndCompiling(object):
 
     def test_compile_and_getsource(self):
         co = self.source.compile()
-        py.builtin.exec_(co, globals())
+        six.exec_(co, globals())
         f(7)
         excinfo = pytest.raises(AssertionError, "f(6)")
         frame = excinfo.traceback[-1].frame
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ def test_getfuncsource_dynamic():
         def g(): pass
     """
     co = _pytest._code.compile(source)
-    py.builtin.exec_(co, globals())
+    six.exec_(co, globals())
     assert str(_pytest._code.Source(f)).strip() == "def f():\n    raise ValueError"
     assert str(_pytest._code.Source(g)).strip() == "def g(): pass"
 
diff --git a/testing/python/metafunc.py b/testing/python/metafunc.py
index 7ef34678c..db1cd77c5 100644
--- a/testing/python/metafunc.py
+++ b/testing/python/metafunc.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import re
 import sys
 import attr
 import _pytest._code
-import py
 import pytest
 from _pytest import python, fixtures
 
@@ -295,9 +294,7 @@ class TestMetafunc(object):
         )
         assert result == ["a0-1.0", "a1-b1"]
         # unicode mixing, issue250
-        result = idmaker(
-            (py.builtin._totext("a"), "b"), [pytest.param({}, b"\xc3\xb4")]
-        )
+        result = idmaker((u"a", "b"), [pytest.param({}, b"\xc3\xb4")])
         assert result == ["a0-\\xc3\\xb4"]
 
     def test_idmaker_with_bytes_regex(self):
@@ -309,7 +306,6 @@ class TestMetafunc(object):
     def test_idmaker_native_strings(self):
         from _pytest.python import idmaker
 
-        totext = py.builtin._totext
         result = idmaker(
             ("a", "b"),
             [
@@ -324,7 +320,7 @@ class TestMetafunc(object):
                 pytest.param({7}, set("seven")),
                 pytest.param(tuple("eight"), (8, -8, 8)),
                 pytest.param(b"\xc3\xb4", b"name"),
-                pytest.param(b"\xc3\xb4", totext("other")),
+                pytest.param(b"\xc3\xb4", u"other"),
             ],
         )
         assert result == [
diff --git a/testing/test_assertion.py b/testing/test_assertion.py
index 23763f078..a9e624713 100644
--- a/testing/test_assertion.py
+++ b/testing/test_assertion.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import textwrap
 import _pytest.assertion as plugin
 import py
 import pytest
+import six
 from _pytest.assertion import util
 from _pytest.assertion import truncate
 
@@ -509,12 +510,12 @@ class TestAssert_reprcompare(object):
         assert "raised in repr()" not in expl
 
     def test_unicode(self):
-        left = py.builtin._totext("£€", "utf-8")
-        right = py.builtin._totext("£", "utf-8")
+        left = u"£€"
+        right = u"£"
         expl = callequal(left, right)
-        assert expl[0] == py.builtin._totext("'£€' == '£'", "utf-8")
-        assert expl[1] == py.builtin._totext("- £€", "utf-8")
-        assert expl[2] == py.builtin._totext("+ £", "utf-8")
+        assert expl[0] == u"'£€' == '£'"
+        assert expl[1] == u"- £€"
+        assert expl[2] == u"+ £"
 
     def test_nonascii_text(self):
         """
@@ -541,8 +542,8 @@ class TestAssert_reprcompare(object):
             right = bytes(right, "utf-8")
         expl = callequal(left, right)
         for line in expl:
-            assert isinstance(line, py.builtin.text)
-        msg = py.builtin._totext("\n").join(expl)
+            assert isinstance(line, six.text_type)
+        msg = u"\n".join(expl)
         assert msg
 
 
diff --git a/testing/test_assertrewrite.py b/testing/test_assertrewrite.py
index 6cec7f003..1ba3f9473 100644
--- a/testing/test_assertrewrite.py
+++ b/testing/test_assertrewrite.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import textwrap
 import zipfile
 import py
 import pytest
+import six
 
 import _pytest._code
 from _pytest.assertion import util
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ def getmsg(f, extra_ns=None, must_pass=False):
     ns = {}
     if extra_ns is not None:
         ns.update(extra_ns)
-    py.builtin.exec_(code, ns)
+    six.exec_(code, ns)
     func = ns[f.__name__]
     try:
         func()
@@ -654,12 +655,10 @@ class TestRewriteOnImport(object):
     def test_readonly(self, testdir):
         sub = testdir.mkdir("testing")
         sub.join("test_readonly.py").write(
-            py.builtin._totext(
-                """
+            b"""
 def test_rewritten():
     assert "@py_builtins" in globals()
-            """
-            ).encode("utf-8"),
+            """,
             "wb",
         )
         old_mode = sub.stat().mode
diff --git a/testing/test_capture.py b/testing/test_capture.py
index 93eaaa85c..475f61924 100644
--- a/testing/test_capture.py
+++ b/testing/test_capture.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 
 # note: py.io capture tests where copied from
@@ -1083,9 +1084,9 @@ class TestStdCapture(object):
 
     def test_capturing_readouterr_unicode(self):
         with self.getcapture() as cap:
-            print("hx\xc4\x85\xc4\x87")
+            print("hxąć")
             out, err = cap.readouterr()
-        assert out == py.builtin._totext("hx\xc4\x85\xc4\x87\n", "utf8")
+        assert out == u"hxąć\n"
 
     @pytest.mark.skipif(
         "sys.version_info >= (3,)", reason="text output different for bytes on python3"
@@ -1095,7 +1096,7 @@ class TestStdCapture(object):
             # triggered an internal error in pytest
             print("\xa6")
             out, err = cap.readouterr()
-        assert out == py.builtin._totext("\ufffd\n", "unicode-escape")
+        assert out == u"\ufffd\n"
 
     def test_reset_twice_error(self):
         with self.getcapture() as cap:
diff --git a/testing/test_junitxml.py b/testing/test_junitxml.py
index ae2b4ea76..0678d59e8 100644
--- a/testing/test_junitxml.py
+++ b/testing/test_junitxml.py
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ def test_double_colon_split_method_issue469(testdir):
 def test_unicode_issue368(testdir):
     path = testdir.tmpdir.join("test.xml")
     log = LogXML(str(path), None)
-    ustr = py.builtin._totext("ВНИ!", "utf-8")
+    ustr = u"ВНИ!"
 
     class Report(BaseReport):
         longrepr = ustr