diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2c31166..31f3b8d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 language: python
 python:
   - "2.7"
+  - "3.5"
 env:
-  - DJANGO_VERSION=1.4
-  - DJANGO_VERSION=1.5
-  - DJANGO_VERSION=1.6
-  - DJANGO_VERSION=1.7
   - DJANGO_VERSION=1.8
   - DJANGO_VERSION=1.9
   - DJANGO_VERSION=1.10
+  - DJANGO_VERSION=1.11
 install:
   - pip install -q Django==$DJANGO_VERSION
   - pip install -q -r requirements.txt
diff --git a/encrypted_fields/__init__.py b/encrypted_fields/__init__.py
index 6e6ddb0..6052d8a 100644
--- a/encrypted_fields/__init__.py
+++ b/encrypted_fields/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-__version__ = '1.1.2'
+__version__ = '1.2.0a1'
 
 from .fields import *
diff --git a/encrypted_fields/fields.py b/encrypted_fields/fields.py
index d8ea0e8..42977a0 100644
--- a/encrypted_fields/fields.py
+++ b/encrypted_fields/fields.py
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
-
 import os
-import types
+import binascii
 
 import django
 from django.db import models
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
+from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 
-try:
-    from django.utils.encoding import smart_text
-except ImportError:
-    from django.utils.encoding import smart_str as smart_text
-
 from keyczar import keyczar
 
 
@@ -159,25 +154,24 @@ def get_internal_type(self):
     def load_crypter(self):
         self._crypter = self._crypter_klass(self.keydir)
 
-    def from_db_value(self, value, expression, connection, context):
+    def from_db_value(self, value, expression, connection, **kwargs):
         return self.to_python(value)
 
     def to_python(self, value):
-        if value is None or not isinstance(value, types.StringTypes):
+        if value is None or not isinstance(value, (str, bytes)):
             return value
 
         if self.prefix and value.startswith(self.prefix):
             value = value[len(self.prefix):]
 
         try:
-            value = self.crypter().decrypt(value)
-            value = value.decode('unicode_escape')
+            value = force_text(self.crypter().decrypt(value))
         except keyczar.errors.KeyczarError:
             pass
         except UnicodeEncodeError:
             pass
         except binascii.Error:
-            pass        
+            pass
 
         return super(EncryptedFieldMixin, self).to_python(value)
 
@@ -187,11 +181,7 @@ def get_prep_value(self, value):
         if value is None or value == '' or self.decrypt_only:
             return value
 
-        if isinstance(value, types.StringTypes):
-            value = value.encode('unicode_escape')
-            value = value.encode('ascii')
-        else:
-            value = str(value)
+        value = force_text(value)
 
         return self.prefix + self.crypter().encrypt(value)
 
@@ -228,6 +218,7 @@ class EncryptedDateTimeField(EncryptedFieldMixin, models.DateTimeField):
 
 
 class EncryptedIntegerField(EncryptedFieldMixin, models.IntegerField):
+
     @cached_property
     def validators(self):
         """
diff --git a/encrypted_fields/tests.py b/encrypted_fields/tests.py
index fa875b8..fa708b3 100644
--- a/encrypted_fields/tests.py
+++ b/encrypted_fields/tests.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def test_decrypt_only_field(self):
         model.save()
 
         plaintext = self.get_db_value('decrypt_only', model.id)
-        self.assertEquals(plaintext, known_plaintext)
+        self.assertEqual(plaintext, known_plaintext)
 
     def test_decrypt_only_plaintext(self):
         known_plaintext = 'I am so plain and ordinary'
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def test_decrypt_only_plaintext(self):
         model.save()
 
         plaintext = self.get_db_value('decrypt_only', model.id)
-        self.assertEquals(plaintext, known_plaintext)
+        self.assertEqual(plaintext, known_plaintext)
 
     def test_char_field_encrypted(self):
         plaintext = 'Oh hi, test reader!'
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 6775bc7..89c6de9 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-Django>=1.4
-python-keyczar==0.715
+Django>=1.8
+python3-keyczar==0.71rc0
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7631311..93b4f3a 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@
     version=version,
     install_requires=[
         'Django>=1.4',
-        'python-keyczar>=0.71c',
+        'python3-keyczar>=0.71c',
     ],
 )