diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..076a0df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+__pycache/
+*.pyc
diff --git a/py-src/ltipy.py b/py-src/ltipy.py
index f3229c5..0073964 100644
--- a/py-src/ltipy.py
+++ b/py-src/ltipy.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def km_from_string(s=''):
         km = KernelManager(connection_file = fullpath)
         km.load_connection_file()
         km.start_channels()
-        send = km.shell_channel.execute
+        send = km.shell_channel.execute # not sure if this should be changed as well
 
         respond(None, "python.client.error.ipython-version", None)
         return
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def km_from_string(s=''):
     km.load_connection_file()
     kc = km.client()
     kc.start_channels()
-    send = kc.shell_channel.execute
+    send = kc.execute
     return km
 
 def _extract_traceback(traceback):
diff --git a/py-src/ltmain.py b/py-src/ltmain.py
index e07f173..044aafb 100644
--- a/py-src/ltmain.py
+++ b/py-src/ltmain.py
@@ -40,18 +40,6 @@ def readlines(self):
   def read(self):
     return None
 
-def asUnicode(s):
-  try:
-    return unicode(s)
-  except:
-    return str(s)
-
-def ensureUtf(s):
-  if type(s) == unicode:
-    return s.encode('utf8', 'ignore')
-  else:
-    return str(s)
-
 def findLoc(body, line, total):
   for i in range(len(body)):
     if body[i].lineno == line:
@@ -190,11 +178,11 @@ def handleEval(data):
       loc = form[0]
       isEval = False
       try:
-        code= compile(ensureUtf(code), ensureUtf(data[2]["name"]), 'eval')
+        code= compile(code, str(data[2]["name"]), 'eval')
         isEval = True
       except:
         try:
-          code= compile(ensureUtf(code), ensureUtf(data[2]["name"]), 'exec')
+          code= compile(code, str(data[2]["name"]), 'exec')
         except:
           e = traceback.format_exc()
           send(data[0], "editor.eval.python.exception", {"ex": cleanTrace(e), "meta": loc})
@@ -203,7 +191,7 @@ def handleEval(data):
       try:
         if isEval:
           result = eval(code, module.__dict__)
-          send(data[0], "editor.eval.python.result", {"meta": loc, "result": asUnicode(result)})
+          send(data[0], "editor.eval.python.result", {"meta": loc, "result": str(result)})
         else:
           exec(code, module.__dict__)
           send(data[0], "editor.eval.python.success", {"meta": loc})
@@ -260,11 +248,11 @@ def ipyEval(data):
       loc = form[0]
       isEval = False
       try:
-        compile(ensureUtf(code), ensureUtf(data[2]["name"]), 'eval')
+        compile(code, str(data[2]["name"]), 'eval')
         isEval = True
       except:
         try:
-          compile(ensureUtf(code), ensureUtf(data[2]["name"]), 'exec')
+          compile(code, str(data[2]["name"]), 'exec')
         except:
           e = traceback.format_exc()
           send(data[0], "editor.eval.python.exception", {"ex": cleanTrace(e), "meta": loc})