diff --git a/cmake/FindCython.cmake b/cmake/FindCython.cmake
index 23afb00e6..292d9d51e 100644
--- a/cmake/FindCython.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindCython.cmake
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 find_package( PythonInterp )
 if ( PYTHONINTERP_FOUND )
   execute_process( COMMAND "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" "-c"
-      "import Cython; print Cython.__path__"
+      "import Cython; print(Cython.__path__[0])"
       RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT
       OUTPUT_VARIABLE CYTHON_PATH
       OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ endif ()
 # RESULT=0 means ok
 if ( NOT RESULT )
   execute_process( COMMAND "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" "-c"
-      "import Cython; print Cython.__version__"
+      "import Cython; print(Cython.__version__)"
       RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT
       OUTPUT_VARIABLE CYTHON_VAR_OUTPUT
       ERROR_VARIABLE CYTHON_VAR_OUTPUT
diff --git a/cython/gtsam/__init__.py.in b/cython/gtsam/__init__.py.in
index 7d456023f..85451c680 100644
--- a/cython/gtsam/__init__.py.in
+++ b/cython/gtsam/__init__.py.in
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-from gtsam import *
+from .gtsam import *
 ${GTSAM_UNSTABLE_IMPORT}
diff --git a/wrap/Module.cpp b/wrap/Module.cpp
index a3b8df630..b2b1dc1dc 100644
--- a/wrap/Module.cpp
+++ b/wrap/Module.cpp
@@ -394,6 +394,10 @@ void Module::emit_cython_pxd(FileWriter& pxdFile) const {
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 void Module::emit_cython_pyx(FileWriter& pyxFile) const {
+  // directives...
+  // allow str to automatically coerce to std::string and back (for python3)
+  pyxFile.oss << "# cython: c_string_type=str, c_string_encoding=ascii\n\n";
+
   // headers...
   string pxdHeader = name;
   pyxFile.oss << "cimport numpy as np\n"
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected-cython/geometry.pyx b/wrap/tests/expected-cython/geometry.pyx
index 4bd14b130..7c20a500d 100644
--- a/wrap/tests/expected-cython/geometry.pyx
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected-cython/geometry.pyx
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# cython: c_string_type=str, c_string_encoding=ascii
+
 cimport numpy as np
 import numpy as npp
 cimport geometry