diff --git a/OpenSSL/SSL.py b/OpenSSL/SSL.py
index 8da25e2..ce2cc29 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/SSL.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/SSL.py
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
 from errno import errorcode
 
+from six import text_type as _text_type
+
+
 from OpenSSL._util import (
     ffi as _ffi,
     lib as _lib,
@@ -356,8 +359,12 @@
         :param certfile: The name of the certificate chain file
         :return: None
         """
+        if isinstance(certfile, _text_type):
+            # Perhaps sys.getfilesystemencoding() could be better?
+            certfile = certfile.encode("utf-8")
+
         if not isinstance(certfile, bytes):
-            raise TypeError("certfile must be a byte string")
+            raise TypeError("certfile must be bytes or unicode")
 
         result = _lib.SSL_CTX_use_certificate_chain_file(self._context, certfile)
         if not result:
@@ -372,8 +379,11 @@
         :param filetype: (optional) The encoding of the file, default is PEM
         :return: None
         """
+        if isinstance(certfile, _text_type):
+            # Perhaps sys.getfilesystemencoding() could be better?
+            certfile = certfile.encode("utf-8")
         if not isinstance(certfile, bytes):
-            raise TypeError("certfile must be a byte string")
+            raise TypeError("certfile must be bytes or unicode")
         if not isinstance(filetype, int):
             raise TypeError("filetype must be an integer")
 
@@ -431,6 +441,10 @@
         :param filetype: (optional) The encoding of the file, default is PEM
         :return: None
         """
+        if isinstance(keyfile, _text_type):
+            # Perhaps sys.getfilesystemencoding() could be better?
+            keyfile = keyfile.encode("utf-8")
+
         if not isinstance(keyfile, bytes):
             raise TypeError("keyfile must be a byte string")
 
@@ -588,8 +602,11 @@
         :param cipher_list: A cipher list, see ciphers(1)
         :return: None
         """
+        if isinstance(cipher_list, _text_type):
+            cipher_list = cipher_list.encode("ascii")
+
         if not isinstance(cipher_list, bytes):
-            raise TypeError("cipher_list must be a byte string")
+            raise TypeError("cipher_list must be bytes or unicode")
 
         result = _lib.SSL_CTX_set_cipher_list(self._context, cipher_list)
         if not result:
@@ -1402,3 +1419,7 @@
             _raise_current_error()
 
 ConnectionType = Connection
+
+# This is similar to the initialization calls at the end of OpenSSL/crypto.py
+# but is exercised mostly by the Context initializer.
+_lib.SSL_library_init()
diff --git a/OpenSSL/__init__.py b/OpenSSL/__init__.py
index 396a97f..db96e1f 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/__init__.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/__init__.py
@@ -10,6 +10,3 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     'rand', 'crypto', 'SSL', 'tsafe', '__version__']
-
-
-# ERR_load_crypto_strings, SSL_library_init, ERR_load_SSL_strings
diff --git a/OpenSSL/_util.py b/OpenSSL/_util.py
index 7c606b9..baeecc6 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/_util.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/_util.py
@@ -6,15 +6,18 @@
 lib = binding.lib
 
 def exception_from_error_queue(exceptionType):
+    def text(charp):
+        return native(ffi.string(charp))
+
     errors = []
     while True:
         error = lib.ERR_get_error()
         if error == 0:
             break
         errors.append((
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_lib_error_string(error)),
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_func_error_string(error)),
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_reason_error_string(error))))
+                text(lib.ERR_lib_error_string(error)),
+                text(lib.ERR_func_error_string(error)),
+                text(lib.ERR_reason_error_string(error))))
 
     raise exceptionType(errors)
 
diff --git a/OpenSSL/crypto.py b/OpenSSL/crypto.py
index 0a9e8a2..d0026bd 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/crypto.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/crypto.py
@@ -1202,6 +1202,9 @@
 
     :return: The X509 object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     if type == FILETYPE_PEM:
@@ -1988,6 +1991,9 @@
 
     :return: The PKey object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     helper = _PassphraseHelper(type, passphrase)
@@ -2044,6 +2050,9 @@
     :param buffer: The buffer the certificate request is stored in
     :return: The X509Req object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     if type == FILETYPE_PEM:
@@ -2137,6 +2146,9 @@
 
     :return: The PKey object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     if type == FILETYPE_PEM:
@@ -2163,6 +2175,9 @@
     :param buffer: The buffer with the pkcs7 data.
     :return: The PKCS7 object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     if type == FILETYPE_PEM:
@@ -2191,6 +2206,9 @@
     :param passphrase: (Optional) The password to decrypt the PKCS12 lump
     :returns: The PKCS12 object
     """
+    if isinstance(buffer, _text_type):
+        buffer = buffer.encode("ascii")
+
     bio = _new_mem_buf(buffer)
 
     p12 = _lib.d2i_PKCS12_bio(bio, _ffi.NULL)
@@ -2290,3 +2308,7 @@
 # OpenSSL library (and is linked against the same one that cryptography is
 # using)).
 _lib.OpenSSL_add_all_algorithms()
+
+# This is similar but exercised mainly by exception_from_error_queue.  It calls
+# both ERR_load_crypto_strings() and ERR_load_SSL_strings().
+_lib.SSL_load_error_strings()
diff --git a/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py b/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
index 51da99b..4e42f70 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
@@ -1941,7 +1941,7 @@
         """
         passwd = 'whatever'
         e = self.assertRaises(Error, load_pkcs12, b'fruit loops', passwd)
-        self.assertEqual( e.args[0][0][0], b'asn1 encoding routines')
+        self.assertEqual( e.args[0][0][0], 'asn1 encoding routines')
         self.assertEqual( len(e.args[0][0]), 3)
 
 
diff --git a/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py b/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
index 95cb538..e366b47 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 from unittest import main
 from weakref import ref
 
+from six import u
+
 from OpenSSL.crypto import TYPE_RSA, FILETYPE_PEM
 from OpenSSL.crypto import PKey, X509, X509Extension, X509Store
 from OpenSSL.crypto import dump_privatekey, load_privatekey
@@ -960,11 +962,11 @@
 
         # Write out the chain file.
         chainFile = self.mktemp()
-        fObj = open(chainFile, 'w')
+        fObj = open(chainFile, 'wb')
         # Most specific to least general.
-        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, scert).decode('ascii'))
-        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, icert).decode('ascii'))
-        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, cacert).decode('ascii'))
+        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, scert))
+        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, icert))
+        fObj.write(dump_certificate(FILETYPE_PEM, cacert))
         fObj.close()
 
         serverContext = Context(TLSv1_METHOD)
@@ -1057,10 +1059,11 @@
         # XXX What should I assert here? -exarkun
 
 
-    def test_set_cipher_list(self):
+    def test_set_cipher_list_bytes(self):
         """
-        :py:obj:`Context.set_cipher_list` accepts a :py:obj:`str` naming the ciphers which
-        connections created with the context object will be able to choose from.
+        :py:obj:`Context.set_cipher_list` accepts a :py:obj:`bytes` naming the
+        ciphers which connections created with the context object will be able
+        to choose from.
         """
         context = Context(TLSv1_METHOD)
         context.set_cipher_list(b"hello world:EXP-RC4-MD5")
@@ -1068,11 +1071,23 @@
         self.assertEquals(conn.get_cipher_list(), ["EXP-RC4-MD5"])
 
 
+    def test_set_cipher_list_text(self):
+        """
+        :py:obj:`Context.set_cipher_list` accepts a :py:obj:`unicode` naming
+        the ciphers which connections created with the context object will be
+        able to choose from.
+        """
+        context = Context(TLSv1_METHOD)
+        context.set_cipher_list(u("hello world:EXP-RC4-MD5"))
+        conn = Connection(context, None)
+        self.assertEquals(conn.get_cipher_list(), ["EXP-RC4-MD5"])
+
+
     def test_set_cipher_list_wrong_args(self):
         """
-        :py:obj:`Context.set_cipher_list` raises :py:obj:`TypeError` when passed
-        zero arguments or more than one argument or when passed a non-byte
-        string single argument and raises :py:obj:`OpenSSL.SSL.Error` when
+        :py:obj:`Context.set_cipher_list` raises :py:obj:`TypeError` when
+        passed zero arguments or more than one argument or when passed a
+        non-string single argument and raises :py:obj:`OpenSSL.SSL.Error` when
         passed an incorrect cipher list string.
         """
         context = Context(TLSv1_METHOD)
@@ -1080,7 +1095,7 @@
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, context.set_cipher_list, object())
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, context.set_cipher_list, b"EXP-RC4-MD5", object())
 
-        self.assertRaises(Error, context.set_cipher_list, b"imaginary-cipher")
+        self.assertRaises(Error, context.set_cipher_list, "imaginary-cipher")
 
 
     def test_set_session_cache_mode_wrong_args(self):