diff --git a/test/basetest/compat.py b/test/basetest/compat.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e60cb97a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/basetest/compat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+try:
+    STRING_TYPE = basestring
+except NameError:
+    # Python 3
+    STRING_TYPE = str
+
+# vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/basetest/task.py b/test/basetest/task.py
index c0f6d0b2e..6c7aefadd 100644
--- a/test/basetest/task.py
+++ b/test/basetest/task.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import unittest
 from .exceptions import CommandError
 from .hooks import Hooks
 from .utils import run_cmd_wait, run_cmd_wait_nofail, which, task_binary_location
+from .compat import STRING_TYPE
 
 
 class Task(object):
@@ -163,14 +164,7 @@ class Task(object):
         argument. The string is literally the same as if written in the shell.
         """
         # Enable nicer-looking calls by allowing plain strings
-        try:
-            # Python 2.x
-            type_check = basestring
-        except NameError:
-            # Python 3.x
-            type_check = str
-
-        if isinstance(args, type_check):
+        if isinstance(args, STRING_TYPE):
             args = shlex.split(args)
 
         return args
diff --git a/test/export.t b/test/export.t
index 80eb84e64..7f7c3f102 100755
--- a/test/export.t
+++ b/test/export.t
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
 from basetest import Task, TestCase
 from basetest.utils import UUID_REGEXP
+from basetest.compat import STRING_TYPE
 
 DATETIME_FORMAT = "%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ"
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ class TestExportCommand(TestCase):
         """
 
         # Timestamps should be exported as strings
-        self.assertType(value, unicode)
+        self.assertType(value, STRING_TYPE)
         # And they should follow the %Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ format
         datetime.datetime.strptime(value, DATETIME_FORMAT)
 
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class TestExportCommand(TestCase):
         regular expression object.
         """
 
-        self.assertType(value, unicode)
+        self.assertType(value, STRING_TYPE)
 
         if expected_value is not None:
             if regexp:
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ class TestExportCommand(TestCase):
         self.t('add estimate:month test duration uda')
         self.assertString(self.export('2')['estimate'], 'month')
 
+
 class TestExportCommandLimit(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.t = Task()