diff --git a/common/swig/wx_python_helpers.cpp b/common/swig/wx_python_helpers.cpp
index 587fe2a2d1..e8922076ed 100644
--- a/common/swig/wx_python_helpers.cpp
+++ b/common/swig/wx_python_helpers.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ wxString* newWxStringFromPy( PyObject* src )
     PyObject*   uni_str = src;
 
     // if not an str or unicode, try to str(src)
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    if( !PyBytes_Check( src ) && !PyUnicode_Check( src ) )
+#else
     if( !PyString_Check( src ) && !PyUnicode_Check( src ) )
+#endif
     {
         obj = PyObject_Str( src );
         must_unref_obj = true;
@@ -83,7 +87,11 @@ wxString* newWxStringFromPy( PyObject* src )
             return NULL;
     }
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    if( PyBytes_Check( obj ) )
+#else
     if( PyString_Check( obj ) )
+#endif
     {
         uni_str = PyUnicode_FromEncodedObject( obj, wxPythonEncoding, "strict" );
         must_unref_str = true;
@@ -97,8 +105,13 @@ wxString* newWxStringFromPy( PyObject* src )
 
     if( len )
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        PyUnicode_AsWideChar( uni_str,
+                              wxStringBuffer( *result, len ), len );
+#else
         PyUnicode_AsWideChar( (PyUnicodeObject*) uni_str,
                               wxStringBuffer( *result, len ), len );
+#endif
     }
 
     if( must_unref_str )
@@ -122,7 +135,11 @@ wxString* newWxStringFromPy( PyObject* src )
         if( PyErr_Occurred() )
             return NULL;
     }
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    else if( !PyBytes_Check( src ) )
+#else
     else if( !PyString_Check( src ) )    // if it's not a string, str(obj)
+#endif
     {
         str = PyObject_Str( src );
         must_unref_str = true;
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
index 10efdf95f4..445c73e64e 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ wxString PYTHON_ACTION_PLUGIN::CallRetStrMethod( const char* aMethod, PyObject*
 
     if( result )
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        const char* str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( result );
+#else
         const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
+#endif
         ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
         Py_DECREF( result );
     }
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
index ed7edc5e68..8b47636b4a 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,11 @@ wxString PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::CallRetStrMethod( const char* aMethod, PyObjec
 
     if( result )
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        const char* str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( result );
+#else
         const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
+#endif
         ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
         Py_DECREF( result );
     }
@@ -173,10 +177,17 @@ int PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::GetNumParameterPages()
 
     if( result )
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        if( !PyLong_Check( result ) )
+            return -1;
+
+        ret = PyLong_AsLong( result );
+#else
         if( !PyInt_Check( result ) )
             return -1;
 
         ret = PyInt_AsLong( result );
+#endif
         Py_DECREF( result );
     }
 
@@ -197,7 +208,11 @@ wxString PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::GetParameterPageName( int aPage )
 
     if( result )
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        const char* str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( result );
+#else
         const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
+#endif
         ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
         Py_DECREF( result );
     }
@@ -305,7 +320,11 @@ wxString PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::SetParameterValues( int aPage, wxArrayString&
     for( int i = 0; i < len; i++ )
     {
         wxString&    str     = aValues[i];
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        PyObject*   py_str  = PyUnicode_FromString( (const char*) str.mb_str() );
+#else
         PyObject*   py_str  = PyString_FromString( (const char*) str.mb_str() );
+#endif
         PyList_SetItem( py_list, i, py_str );
     }
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
index 2f0b6a3f28..9bc46e17f4 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@
 
 /* init functions defined by swig */
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+extern "C" PyObject* init_kicad( void );
+
+extern "C" PyObject* init_pcbnew( void );
+#else
 extern "C" void init_kicad( void );
 
 extern "C" void init_pcbnew( void );
+#endif
 
 #define EXTRA_PYTHON_MODULES 10     // this is the number of python
                                     // modules that we want to add into the list
@@ -67,7 +73,11 @@ bool IsWxPythonLoaded()
 
 /* Add a name + initfuction to our SwigImportInittab */
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+static void swigAddModule( const char* name, PyObject* (* initfunc)() )
+#else
 static void swigAddModule( const char* name, void (* initfunc)() )
+#endif
 {
     SwigImportInittab[SwigNumModules].name      = (char*) name;
     SwigImportInittab[SwigNumModules].initfunc  = initfunc;
@@ -236,7 +246,11 @@ static void pcbnewRunPythonMethodWithReturnedString( const char* aMethodName, wx
     if( pobj )
     {
         PyObject* str = PyDict_GetItemString(localDict, "result" );
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        const char* str_res = str ? PyBytes_AS_STRING( str ) : 0;
+#else
         const char* str_res = str ? PyString_AsString( str ) : 0;
+#endif
         aNames = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
         Py_DECREF( pobj );
     }
@@ -386,7 +400,13 @@ wxArrayString PyArrayStringToWx( PyObject* aArrayString )
         PyObject* element = PyList_GetItem( aArrayString, n );
 
         if( element )
-            ret.Add( FROM_UTF8( PyString_AsString( element ) ), 1 );
+        {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        ret.Add( FROM_UTF8( PyBytes_AS_STRING( element ) ), 1 );
+#else
+        ret.Add( FROM_UTF8( PyString_AsString( element ) ), 1 );
+#endif
+        }
     }
 
     return ret;
@@ -406,7 +426,11 @@ wxString PyErrStringWithTraceback()
 
     PyErr_Fetch( &type, &value, &traceback );
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    PyObject* tracebackModuleString = PyUnicode_FromString( "traceback" );
+#else
     PyObject* tracebackModuleString = PyString_FromString( "traceback" );
+#endif
     PyObject* tracebackModule = PyImport_Import( tracebackModuleString );
     Py_DECREF( tracebackModuleString );