diff --git a/winpython/py3compat.py b/winpython/py3compat.py
index 3cdfa630..a7f95509 100644
--- a/winpython/py3compat.py
+++ b/winpython/py3compat.py
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
 # (see spyderlib/__init__.py for details)
 
 """
-winpython.py3compat (exact copy of spyderlib.py3compat)
--------------------------------------------------------
+spyderlib.py3compat
+-------------------
 
-Transitional module providing compatibility functions intended to help
+Transitional module providing compatibility functions intended to help 
 migrating from Python 2 to Python 3.
 
 This module should be fully compatible with:
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@
 import sys
 import os
 
-PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
-PY3 = sys.version_info[0] == 3
+PY2 = sys.version[0] == '2'
+PY3 = sys.version[0] == '3'
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Data types
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 if PY2:
     # Python 2
     TEXT_TYPES = (str, unicode)
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@
 NUMERIC_TYPES = tuple(list(INT_TYPES) + [float, complex])
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Renamed/Reorganized modules
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 if PY2:
     # Python 2
     import __builtin__ as builtins
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
     except ImportError:
         import pickle
     from UserDict import DictMixin as MutableMapping
+    import thread as _thread
+    import repr as reprlib
 else:
     # Python 3
     import builtins
@@ -72,11 +74,25 @@
     import io
     import pickle
     from collections import MutableMapping
+    import _thread
+    import reprlib
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Strings
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
+if PY2:
+    # Python 2
+    import codecs
+    def u(obj):
+        """Make unicode object"""
+        return codecs.unicode_escape_decode(obj)[0]
+else:
+    # Python 3
+    def u(obj):
+        """Return string as it is"""
+        return obj
+
 def is_text_string(obj):
     """Return True if `obj` is a text string, False if it is anything else,
     like binary data (Python 3) or QString (Python 2, PyQt API #1)"""
@@ -87,7 +103,6 @@ def is_text_string(obj):
         # Python 3
         return isinstance(obj, str)
 
-
 def is_binary_string(obj):
     """Return True if `obj` is a binary string, False if it is anything else"""
     if PY2:
@@ -97,13 +112,11 @@ def is_binary_string(obj):
         # Python 3
         return isinstance(obj, bytes)
 
-
 def is_string(obj):
     """Return True if `obj` is a text or binary Python string object,
     False if it is anything else, like a QString (Python 2, PyQt API #1)"""
     return is_text_string(obj) or is_binary_string(obj)
 
-
 def is_unicode(obj):
     """Return True if `obj` is unicode"""
     if PY2:
@@ -113,7 +126,6 @@ def is_unicode(obj):
         # Python 3
         return isinstance(obj, str)
 
-
 def to_text_string(obj, encoding=None):
     """Convert `obj` to (unicode) text string"""
     if PY2:
@@ -132,7 +144,6 @@ def to_text_string(obj, encoding=None):
         else:
             return str(obj, encoding)
 
-
 def to_binary_string(obj, encoding=None):
     """Convert `obj` to binary string (bytes in Python 3, str in Python 2)"""
     if PY2:
@@ -146,9 +157,9 @@ def to_binary_string(obj, encoding=None):
         return bytes(obj, 'utf-8' if encoding is None else encoding)
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Function attributes
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 def get_func_code(func):
     """Return function code object"""
     if PY2:
@@ -158,7 +169,6 @@ def get_func_code(func):
         # Python 3
         return func.__code__
 
-
 def get_func_name(func):
     """Return function name"""
     if PY2:
@@ -168,7 +178,6 @@ def get_func_name(func):
         # Python 3
         return func.__name__
 
-
 def get_func_defaults(func):
     """Return function default argument values"""
     if PY2:
@@ -179,9 +188,9 @@ def get_func_defaults(func):
         return func.__defaults__
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Special method attributes
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 def get_meth_func(obj):
     """Return method function object"""
     if PY2:
@@ -191,7 +200,6 @@ def get_meth_func(obj):
         # Python 3
         return obj.__func__
 
-
 def get_meth_class_inst(obj):
     """Return method class instance"""
     if PY2:
@@ -201,7 +209,6 @@ def get_meth_class_inst(obj):
         # Python 3
         return obj.__self__
 
-
 def get_meth_class(obj):
     """Return method class"""
     if PY2:
@@ -212,9 +219,9 @@ def get_meth_class(obj):
         return obj.__self__.__class__
 
 
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 # Misc.
-# =============================================================================
+#==============================================================================
 if PY2:
     # Python 2
     input = raw_input
@@ -222,19 +229,19 @@ def get_meth_class(obj):
     cmp = cmp
     import string
     str_lower = string.lower
+    from itertools import izip_longest as zip_longest
 else:
     # Python 3
     input = input
     getcwd = os.getcwd
-
     def cmp(a, b):
         return (a > b) - (a < b)
     str_lower = str.lower
-
+    from itertools import zip_longest
 
 def qbytearray_to_str(qba):
     """Convert QByteArray object to str in a way compatible with Python 2/3"""
-    return str(bytes(qba.toHex()).decode())
+    return str(bytes(qba.toHex().data()).decode())
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':