diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 8411c02..91ebf1d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ env:
   - TEST_LIST_SLUG=team
   - TEST_LIST_OWNER_SCREEN_NAME=twitterapi
   - ACCESS_TOKEN_B64=U2FsdGVkX18QdBhvMNshM4PGy04tU3HLwKP+nNSoNZHKsvGLjELcWEXN2LIu/T+yngX1vGONf9lo14ElnfS4k7sfhiru8phR4+rZuBVP3bDvC2A6fXJuhuLqNhBrWqg32WQewvxLWDWBoKmnvRHg5b74GHh+IN/12tU0cBF2HK8=
-install: pip install -r requirements.txt
+install: 
+  - pip install -r requirements.txt
+  - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '2.6' ]]; then pip install unittest2; fi
 script: nosetests -v -w tests/ --logging-filter="twython" --with-cov --cov twython --cov-config .coveragerc --cov-report term-missing
 notifications:
   email: false
diff --git a/tests/config.py b/tests/config.py
index 4e8895e..d26b6e1 100644
--- a/tests/config.py
+++ b/tests/config.py
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import os
 
+import sys
+if sys.version_info[0] == 2 and sys.version_info[1] == 6:
+    import unittest2 as unittest
+else:
+    import unittest
+
 app_key = os.environ.get('APP_KEY')
 app_secret = os.environ.get('APP_SECRET')
 oauth_token = os.environ.get('OAUTH_TOKEN')
diff --git a/tests/test_auth.py b/tests/test_auth.py
index 3b2a713..7de4160 100644
--- a/tests/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/test_auth.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 from twython import Twython, TwythonError, TwythonAuthError
 
-from .config import app_key, app_secret, screen_name
-
-import unittest
+from .config import app_key, app_secret, screen_name, unittest
 
 
 class TwythonAuthTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index 17d1fce..be22925 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -1,21 +1,17 @@
 from twython import Twython, TwythonError, TwythonAuthError
 
 from .config import (
-    test_tweet_object, test_tweet_html
+    test_tweet_object, test_tweet_html, unittest
 )
 
-try:
-    import unittest2 as unittest
-except ImportError:
-    import unittest
-
 import responses
 import requests
 
-try:
-    import io.StringIO as StringIO
-except ImportError:
-    import StringIO
+from twython.compat import is_py2
+if is_py2:
+    from StringIO import StringIO
+else:
+    from io import StringIO
 
 try:
     import unittest.mock as mock
@@ -141,7 +137,7 @@ def test_request_should_handle_file_as_parameter(self):
         url = self.get_url(endpoint)
         responses.add(responses.POST, url)
 
-        mock_file = StringIO.StringIO("Twython test image")
+        mock_file = StringIO("Twython test image")
         self.api.request(endpoint, method='POST', params={'image': mock_file})
 
         self.assertIn('filename="image"', responses.calls[0].request.body)
diff --git a/tests/test_endpoints.py b/tests/test_endpoints.py
index edeacfa..6204a57 100644
--- a/tests/test_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/test_endpoints.py
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@
     app_key, app_secret, oauth_token, oauth_token_secret,
     protected_twitter_1, protected_twitter_2, screen_name,
     test_tweet_id, test_list_slug, test_list_owner_screen_name,
-    access_token, test_tweet_object, test_tweet_html
+    access_token, test_tweet_object, test_tweet_html, unittest
 )
 
 import time
-import unittest
 
 
 class TwythonEndpointsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/tests/test_streaming.py b/tests/test_streaming.py
index d0cf20a..9db7059 100644
--- a/tests/test_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_streaming.py
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 from twython import TwythonStreamer, TwythonStreamError
 
 from .config import (
-    app_key, app_secret, oauth_token, oauth_token_secret
+    app_key, app_secret, oauth_token, oauth_token_secret, unittest
 )
 
-import unittest
-
 
 class TwythonStreamTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):