diff --git a/src/_pytest/assertion/util.py b/src/_pytest/assertion/util.py
index 9d6af5d69..f2cb2ab63 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/assertion/util.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/assertion/util.py
@@ -81,19 +81,12 @@ def _format_lines(lines):
     return result
 
 
-# Provide basestring in python3
-try:
-    basestring = basestring
-except NameError:
-    basestring = str
-
-
 def issequence(x):
-    return isinstance(x, Sequence) and not isinstance(x, basestring)
+    return isinstance(x, Sequence) and not isinstance(x, str)
 
 
 def istext(x):
-    return isinstance(x, basestring)
+    return isinstance(x, str)
 
 
 def isdict(x):
diff --git a/src/_pytest/outcomes.py b/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
index 0d2a318ed..749e80f3c 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/outcomes.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def fail(msg="", pytrace=True):
 fail.Exception = Failed
 
 
-class XFailed(fail.Exception):
+class XFailed(Failed):
     """ raised from an explicit call to pytest.xfail() """
 
 
diff --git a/testing/io/test_saferepr.py b/testing/io/test_saferepr.py
index e57b53f81..f6abfe322 100644
--- a/testing/io/test_saferepr.py
+++ b/testing/io/test_saferepr.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def test_maxsize():
 
 def test_maxsize_error_on_instance():
     class A:
-        def __repr__():
+        def __repr__(self):
             raise ValueError("...")
 
     s = saferepr(("*" * 50, A()), maxsize=25)
diff --git a/testing/python/fixtures.py b/testing/python/fixtures.py
index 75467fb09..1d39079ea 100644
--- a/testing/python/fixtures.py
+++ b/testing/python/fixtures.py
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ def test_getfuncargnames():
 
     assert fixtures.getfuncargnames(h) == ("arg1",)
 
-    def h(arg1, arg2, arg3="hello"):
+    def j(arg1, arg2, arg3="hello"):
         pass
 
-    assert fixtures.getfuncargnames(h) == ("arg1", "arg2")
+    assert fixtures.getfuncargnames(j) == ("arg1", "arg2")
 
     class A:
         def f(self, arg1, arg2="hello"):
diff --git a/testing/python/raises.py b/testing/python/raises.py
index bfcb3dbb1..89cef38f1 100644
--- a/testing/python/raises.py
+++ b/testing/python/raises.py
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ class TestRaises:
                 int("asdf")
 
     def test_raises_exception_looks_iterable(self):
-        class Meta(type(object)):
+        class Meta(type):
             def __getitem__(self, item):
                 return 1 / 0
 
diff --git a/testing/test_pytester.py b/testing/test_pytester.py
index 96bf85040..ca12672f5 100644
--- a/testing/test_pytester.py
+++ b/testing/test_pytester.py
@@ -189,12 +189,7 @@ def test_hookrecorder_basic(holder):
 
 
 def test_makepyfile_unicode(testdir):
-    global unichr
-    try:
-        unichr(65)
-    except NameError:
-        unichr = chr
-    testdir.makepyfile(unichr(0xFFFD))
+    testdir.makepyfile(chr(0xFFFD))
 
 
 def test_makepyfile_utf8(testdir):
diff --git a/testing/test_tmpdir.py b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
index a7c0ed7ea..c4c7ebe25 100644
--- a/testing/test_tmpdir.py
+++ b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ def test_ensuretemp(recwarn):
 @attr.s
 class FakeConfig:
     basetemp = attr.ib()
-    trace = attr.ib(default=None)
 
     @property
     def trace(self):