diff --git a/fixtures/artifactor_plugin.py b/fixtures/artifactor_plugin.py
index 25dc746a9e..96da10a4f9 100644
--- a/fixtures/artifactor_plugin.py
+++ b/fixtures/artifactor_plugin.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 from utils.conf import env, credentials
 from utils.net import random_port, net_check
 from utils.wait import wait_for
+from utils.pytest_shortcuts import report_safe_longrepr
 from utils import version
 
 UNDER_TEST = False  # set to true for artifactor using tests
@@ -219,10 +220,7 @@ def pytest_runtest_logreport(report):
 
     if hasattr(report, 'skipped'):
         if report.skipped:
-            try:
-                contents = report.longrepr[2]
-            except AttributeError:
-                contents = str(report.longrepr)
+            contents = report_safe_longrepr(report)
             fire_art_hook(
                 config, 'filedump',
                 test_location=location, test_name=name,
diff --git a/fixtures/browser.py b/fixtures/browser.py
index e870f3f9c8..e17dd452b6 100644
--- a/fixtures/browser.py
+++ b/fixtures/browser.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def pytest_exception_interact(node, call, report):
     from httplib import BadStatusLine
     from socket import error
     from utils.browser import WharfFactory
-
+    from utils.pytest_shortcuts import report_safe_longrepr
     import urllib2
 
     val = safe_string(call.excinfo.value.message).decode('utf-8', 'ignore')
@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ def pytest_exception_interact(node, call, report):
 
     short_tb = '{}\n{}'.format(
         call.excinfo.type.__name__, val.encode('ascii', 'xmlcharrefreplace'))
+    longrepr = report_safe_longrepr(report)
     fire_art_test_hook(
         node, 'filedump',
-        description="Traceback", contents=str(report.longrepr), file_type="traceback",
+        description="Traceback", contents=longrepr, file_type="traceback",
         display_type="danger", display_glyph="align-justify", group_id="pytest-exception",
         slaveid=store.slaveid)
     fire_art_test_hook(
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ def pytest_exception_interact(node, call, report):
         slaveid=store.slaveid)
 
     # base64 encoded to go into a data uri, same for screenshots
-    full_tb = str(report.longrepr).encode('base64').strip()
+    full_tb = longrepr.encode('base64').strip()
     # errors are when exceptions are thrown outside of the test call phase
     report.when = getattr(report, 'when', 'setup')
     is_error = report.when != 'call'
diff --git a/fixtures/log.py b/fixtures/log.py
index 54ae1b7431..b8b8451eaf 100644
--- a/fixtures/log.py
+++ b/fixtures/log.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from utils import log
-
+from utils.pytest_shortcuts import report_safe_longrepr
 
 #: A dict of tests, and their state at various test phases
 test_tracking = collections.defaultdict(dict)
@@ -57,13 +57,7 @@ def pytest_runtest_logreport(report):
                 test_status)),
             extra={'source_file': path, 'source_lineno': lineno})
     if report.outcome == "skipped":
-        # Usualy longrepr's a tuple, other times it isn't... :(
-        try:
-            longrepr = report.longrepr[-1]
-        except AttributeError:
-            longrepr = str(report.longrepr)
-
-        logger().info(log.format_marker(longrepr))
+        logger().info(log.format_marker(report_safe_longrepr(report)))
 
 
 def pytest_exception_interact(node, call, report):
diff --git a/utils/pytest_shortcuts.py b/utils/pytest_shortcuts.py
index 04e71bc0c6..aae014b916 100644
--- a/utils/pytest_shortcuts.py
+++ b/utils/pytest_shortcuts.py
@@ -16,3 +16,21 @@ def extract_fixtures_values(item):
         # This can cause some problems if the fixtures are used in the guards in this case, but
         # that will tell use where is the problem and we can then find it out properly.
         return {}
+
+
+def report_safe_longrepr(report):
+    """savely extract the longrepr text of a test report
+
+    Args:
+        report: a test report
+    Returns:
+        :py:class:`str` with the long repr text extracted
+    """
+    # Usualy longrepr's a tuple, other times it isn't... :(
+    try:
+        longrepr = report.longrepr[-1]
+    except (AttributeError, TypeError):
+        # type error for python 3 and pytest > 3
+        # Attributeerror for old style classes on python2
+        longrepr = str(report.longrepr)
+    return longrepr