diff --git a/reviewboard/notifications/__init__.py b/reviewboard/notifications/__init__.py
index ca6ecef38e55962f231f2d4d67457a4a3f56d003..bc0e12801b98a51ba9057a77b931b1299a14c3f2 100644
--- a/reviewboard/notifications/__init__.py
+++ b/reviewboard/notifications/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 from reviewboard.signals import initializing
 
 
diff --git a/reviewboard/notifications/email.py b/reviewboard/notifications/email.py
index d385ee6209feb32669dabb91b5118553cb10e59b..4dcd32f7fd6c0a52baff2400695fb8d20049a462 100644
--- a/reviewboard/notifications/email.py
+++ b/reviewboard/notifications/email.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import logging
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ def build_email_address(fullname, email):
     if not fullname:
         return email
     else:
-        return u'"%s" <%s>' % (fullname, email)
+        return '"%s" <%s>' % (fullname, email)
 
 
 def get_email_address_for_user(u):
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ def get_email_addresses_for_group(g):
         if g.mailing_list.find(",") == -1:
             # The mailing list field has only one e-mail address in it,
             # so we can just use that and the group's display name.
-            return [u'"%s" <%s>' % (g.display_name, g.mailing_list)]
+            return ['"%s" <%s>' % (g.display_name, g.mailing_list)]
         else:
             # The mailing list field has multiple e-mail addresses in it.
             # We don't know which one should have the group's display name
@@ -278,8 +280,8 @@ def mail_review_request(review_request, changedesc=None, on_close=False):
         or (not on_close and review_request.status == 'D')):
         return
 
-    subject = u"Review Request %d: %s" % (review_request.display_id,
-                                          review_request.summary)
+    subject = "Review Request %d: %s" % (review_request.display_id,
+                                         review_request.summary)
     reply_message_id = None
 
     if review_request.email_message_id:
@@ -332,7 +334,7 @@ def mail_review(review):
     review.email_message_id = \
         send_review_mail(review.user,
                          review_request,
-                         u"Re: Review Request %d: %s" % (
+                         "Re: Review Request %d: %s" % (
                              review_request.display_id,
                              review_request.summary),
                          review_request.email_message_id,
@@ -369,7 +371,7 @@ def mail_reply(reply):
     reply.email_message_id = \
         send_review_mail(reply.user,
                          review_request,
-                         u"Re: Review Request %d: %s" % (
+                         "Re: Review Request %d: %s" % (
                              review_request.display_id,
                              review_request.summary),
                          review.email_message_id,
diff --git a/reviewboard/notifications/templatetags/markdown_email.py b/reviewboard/notifications/templatetags/markdown_email.py
index db9e3448ae66333d4aa115dc5b9d66f0ff1311f3..7f5245ba49ad69e25240ac5c6b082c2459dda08f 100644
--- a/reviewboard/notifications/templatetags/markdown_email.py
+++ b/reviewboard/notifications/templatetags/markdown_email.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import markdown
 from django import template
 from django.utils import six
diff --git a/reviewboard/notifications/tests.py b/reviewboard/notifications/tests.py
index af0ee67317f215821fa7a774f1619829b94fda75..e86cefffb4f980d8a930fe58ab9dc93dc971b179 100644
--- a/reviewboard/notifications/tests.py
+++ b/reviewboard/notifications/tests.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core import mail
@@ -20,14 +22,14 @@ class EmailTestHelper(object):
         for user in user_list:
             self.assertTrue(get_email_address_for_user(
                 User.objects.get(username=user)) in recipient_list,
-                u"user %s was not found in the recipient list" % user)
+                "user %s was not found in the recipient list" % user)
 
         groups = Group.objects.filter(name__in=group_list, local_site=None)
         for group in groups:
             for address in get_email_addresses_for_group(group):
                 self.assertTrue(
                     address in recipient_list,
-                    u"group %s was not found in the recipient list" % address)
+                    "group %s was not found in the recipient list" % address)
 
 
 class UserEmailTests(TestCase, EmailTestHelper):