diff --git a/app/test/autotest.py b/app/test/autotest.py
index cf7584ccd7..9eef1efbe5 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation
 
 # Script that uses either test app or qemu controlled by python-pexpect
-from __future__ import print_function
 import autotest_data
 import autotest_runner
 import sys
@@ -17,10 +16,6 @@ def usage():
     usage()
     sys.exit(1)
 
-if sys.version_info.major < 3:
-    print("WARNING: Python 2 is deprecated for use in DPDK, and will not work in future releases.", file=sys.stderr)
-    print("Please use Python 3 instead", file=sys.stderr)
-
 target = sys.argv[2]
 
 test_whitelist = None
diff --git a/app/test/autotest_data.py b/app/test/autotest_data.py
index 4b7da45e09..097638941f 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest_data.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest_data.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation
 
diff --git a/app/test/autotest_runner.py b/app/test/autotest_runner.py
index 95e74c760d..998fe57a55 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest_runner.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest_runner.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation
 
 # The main logic behind running autotests in parallel
 
-from __future__ import print_function
-import StringIO
+import io
 import csv
 from multiprocessing import Pool, Queue
 import pexpect
@@ -50,11 +50,7 @@ def first_cpu_on_node(node_nr):
                 map(os.path.basename, cpu_path)
             )
     )
-    # for compatibility between python 3 and 2 we need to make interable out
-    # of filter return as it returns list in python 2 and a generator in 3
-    m = next(iter(cpu_name))
-    return int(m.group(1))
-
+    return int(next(cpu_name).group(1))
 
 pool_child = None  # per-process child
 
@@ -78,7 +74,7 @@ def pool_init(queue, result_queue):
     cmdline = "%s %s" % (cmdline, prefix_cmdline)
 
     # prepare logging of init
-    startuplog = StringIO.StringIO()
+    startuplog = io.StringIO()
 
     # run test app
     try:
@@ -86,8 +82,7 @@ def pool_init(queue, result_queue):
         print("\n%s %s\n" % ("=" * 20, prefix), file=startuplog)
         print("\ncmdline=%s" % cmdline, file=startuplog)
 
-        pool_child = pexpect.spawn(cmdline, logfile=startuplog)
-
+        pool_child = pexpect.spawn(cmdline, logfile=startuplog, encoding='utf-8')
         # wait for target to boot
         if not wait_prompt(pool_child):
             pool_child.close()
@@ -138,7 +133,7 @@ def run_test(target, test):
     # create log buffer for each test
     # in multiprocessing environment, the logging would be
     # interleaved and will create a mess, hence the buffering
-    logfile = StringIO.StringIO()
+    logfile = io.StringIO()
     pool_child.logfile = logfile
 
     # make a note when the test started
@@ -210,9 +205,9 @@ def __init__(self, cmdline, target, blacklist, whitelist, n_processes):
         # parse the binary for available test commands
         binary = cmdline.split()[0]
         stripped = 'not stripped' not in \
-                   subprocess.check_output(['file', binary])
+                   subprocess.check_output(['file', binary]).decode()
         if not stripped:
-            symbols = subprocess.check_output(['nm', binary]).decode('utf-8')
+            symbols = subprocess.check_output(['nm', binary]).decode()
             self.avail_cmds = re.findall('test_register_(\w+)', symbols)
         else:
             self.avail_cmds = None
diff --git a/app/test/autotest_test_funcs.py b/app/test/autotest_test_funcs.py
index 26688b7132..775dfd1dc5 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest_test_funcs.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest_test_funcs.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation
 
diff --git a/mk/rte.sdktest.mk b/mk/rte.sdktest.mk
index ad7ef138f0..81eff0c08f 100644
--- a/mk/rte.sdktest.mk
+++ b/mk/rte.sdktest.mk
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test test-fast test-perf test-drivers test-dump:
 	@mkdir -p $(AUTOTEST_DIR) ; \
 	cd $(AUTOTEST_DIR) ; \
 	if [ -f $(RTE_OUTPUT)/app/test ]; then \
-		python $(RTE_SDK)/app/test/autotest.py \
+		python3 $(RTE_SDK)/app/test/autotest.py \
 			$(RTE_OUTPUT)/app/test \
 			$(RTE_TARGET) \
 			$(BLACKLIST) $(WHITELIST); \
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ coverage:
 		python3 $(RTE_SDK)/test/cmdline_test/cmdline_test.py \
 			$(RTE_OUTPUT)/app/cmdline_test; \
 		ulimit -S -n 100 ; \
-		python $(RTE_SDK)/app/test/autotest.py \
+		python3 $(RTE_SDK)/app/test/autotest.py \
 			$(RTE_OUTPUT)/app/test \
 			$(RTE_TARGET) \
 			$(BLACKLIST) $(WHITELIST) ; \
