diff --git a/src/python/bcc/__init__.py b/src/python/bcc/__init__.py
index b42581303a57..3a7755aa49fc 100644
--- a/src/python/bcc/__init__.py
+++ b/src/python/bcc/__init__.py
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ def _check_path_symbol(cls, module, symname, addr):
 
     @staticmethod
     def find_library(libname):
-        return lib.bcc_procutils_which_so(libname)
+        return lib.bcc_procutils_which_so(libname.encode("ascii")).decode()
 
     def attach_uprobe(self, name="", sym="", addr=None,
             fn_name="", pid=-1, cpu=0, group_fd=-1):
diff --git a/tools/argdist.py b/tools/argdist.py
index 89f57c3a5402..9d7144250137 100755
--- a/tools/argdist.py
+++ b/tools/argdist.py
@@ -673,8 +673,8 @@ def run(self):
                 except:
                         if self.args.verbose:
                                 traceback.print_exc()
-                        elif sys.exc_type is not SystemExit:
-                                print(sys.exc_value)
+                        elif sys.exc_info()[0] is not SystemExit:
+                                print(sys.exc_info()[1])
                 self._close_probes()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tools/tplist.py b/tools/tplist.py
index abb011d04d85..ff00744779c1 100755
--- a/tools/tplist.py
+++ b/tools/tplist.py
@@ -86,6 +86,6 @@ def print_usdt(pid, lib):
                 else:
                         print_tracepoints()
         except:
-                if sys.exc_type is not SystemExit:
-                        print(sys.exc_value)
+                if sys.exc_info()[0] is not SystemExit:
+                        print(sys.exc_info()[1])