diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_image_metadata.py b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_image_metadata.py
index ab21ad7..52d47dd 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_image_metadata.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_image_metadata.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import StringIO
+import six
 
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
                                               is_public=False)
         cls.image_id = body['id']
         cls.images.append(cls.image_id)
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
+        image_file = six.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
         cls.glance_client.update_image(cls.image_id, data=image_file)
         cls.client.wait_for_image_status(cls.image_id, 'ACTIVE')
 
diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_list_image_filters.py b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_list_image_filters.py
index 2c6d2df..430ca35 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_list_image_filters.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_list_image_filters.py
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import StringIO
 import time
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
+import six
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 import testtools
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
             # Wait 1 second between creation and upload to ensure a delta
             # between created_at and updated_at.
             time.sleep(1)
-            image_file = StringIO.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
+            image_file = six.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
             cls.glance_client.update_image(image_id, data=image_file)
             cls.client.wait_for_image_status(image_id, 'ACTIVE')
             body = cls.client.get_image(image_id)
diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/test_authorization.py b/tempest/api/compute/test_authorization.py
index f9ee75b..2baf608 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/test_authorization.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/test_authorization.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import StringIO
+import six
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
                                               disk_format='raw',
                                               is_public=False)
         image_id = body['id']
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
+        image_file = six.StringIO(('*' * 1024))
         body = cls.glance_client.update_image(image_id, data=image_file)
         cls.glance_client.wait_for_image_status(image_id, 'active')
         cls.image = cls.images_client.get_image(image_id)
diff --git a/tempest/api/image/base.py b/tempest/api/image/base.py
index d513b0c..74044dc 100644
--- a/tempest/api/image/base.py
+++ b/tempest/api/image/base.py
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import cStringIO as StringIO
-
 from oslo_log import log as logging
+from six import moves
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 from tempest_lib import exceptions as lib_exc
 
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@
         cls.alt_tenant_id = cls.alt_img_cli.tenant_id
 
     def _create_image(self):
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
         image = self.create_image(container_format='bare',
                                   disk_format='raw',
                                   is_public=False,
diff --git a/tempest/api/image/v1/test_images.py b/tempest/api/image/v1/test_images.py
index bd672c9..49e167b 100644
--- a/tempest/api/image/v1/test_images.py
+++ b/tempest/api/image/v1/test_images.py
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import cStringIO as StringIO
-
+from six import moves
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 
 from tempest.api.image import base
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@
             self.assertEqual(val, body.get('properties')[key])
 
         # Now try uploading an image file
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
         body = self.client.update_image(image_id, data=image_file)
         self.assertIn('size', body)
         self.assertEqual(1024, body.get('size'))
@@ -161,7 +160,7 @@
         image. Note that the size of the new image is a random number between
         1024 and 4096
         """
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
         name = 'New Standard Image %s' % name
         image = cls.create_image(name=name,
                                  container_format=container_format,
@@ -257,7 +256,7 @@
         Create a new standard image and return the ID of the newly-registered
         image.
         """
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
         name = 'New Standard Image %s' % name
         image = cls.create_image(name=name,
                                  container_format=container_format,
diff --git a/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py b/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
index a00296c..ef0b5f1 100644
--- a/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
+++ b/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import cStringIO as StringIO
 import random
 
+from six import moves
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 
 from tempest.api.image import base
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
         # Now try uploading an image file
         file_content = data_utils.random_bytes()
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(file_content)
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(file_content)
         self.client.store_image(image_id, image_file)
 
         # Now try to get image details
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
         image_id = body['id']
 
         # Now try uploading an image file
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes())
         self.client.store_image(image_id, image_file)
 
         # Update Image
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@
         1024 and 4096
         """
         size = random.randint(1024, 4096)
-        image_file = StringIO.StringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
+        image_file = moves.cStringIO(data_utils.random_bytes(size))
         name = data_utils.rand_name('image')
         body = cls.create_image(name=name,
                                 container_format=container_format,
diff --git a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
index 2091eb5..5797e7f 100644
--- a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
+++ b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import cStringIO as StringIO
 import hashlib
 import random
 import re
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@
 import zlib
 
 import six
+from six import moves
 from tempest_lib.common.utils import data_utils
 
 from tempest.api.object_storage import base
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@
         status, _, resp_headers = self.object_client.put_object_with_chunk(
             container=self.container_name,
             name=object_name,
-            contents=StringIO.StringIO(data),
+            contents=moves.cStringIO(data),
             chunk_size=512)
         self.assertHeaders(resp_headers, 'Object', 'PUT')
 
diff --git a/tempest/common/glance_http.py b/tempest/common/glance_http.py
index c6b8ba3..ee07e73 100644
--- a/tempest/common/glance_http.py
+++ b/tempest/common/glance_http.py
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
 import posixpath
 import re
 import socket
-import StringIO
 import struct
 import urlparse
 
 
 import OpenSSL
 from oslo_log import log as logging
+import six
 from six import moves
 from tempest_lib import exceptions as lib_exc
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
         # Read body into string if it isn't obviously image data
         if resp.getheader('content-type', None) != 'application/octet-stream':
             body_str = ''.join([body_chunk for body_chunk in body_iter])
-            body_iter = StringIO.StringIO(body_str)
+            body_iter = six.StringIO(body_str)
             self._log_response(resp, None)
         else:
             self._log_response(resp, body_iter)
diff --git a/tempest/common/ssh.py b/tempest/common/ssh.py
index fe67ff8..d0e484c 100644
--- a/tempest/common/ssh.py
+++ b/tempest/common/ssh.py
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-
-import cStringIO
 import select
 import socket
 import time
@@ -22,6 +20,7 @@
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 import six
+from six import moves
 
 from tempest import exceptions
 
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@
         self.password = password
         if isinstance(pkey, six.string_types):
             pkey = paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key(
-                cStringIO.StringIO(str(pkey)))
+                moves.cStringIO(str(pkey)))
         self.pkey = pkey
         self.look_for_keys = look_for_keys
         self.key_filename = key_filename
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_ssh.py b/tempest/tests/test_ssh.py
index 27cd6b5..aaacaab 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/test_ssh.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_ssh.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     def test_pkey_calls_paramiko_RSAKey(self):
         with contextlib.nested(
             mock.patch('paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key'),
-            mock.patch('cStringIO.StringIO')) as (rsa_mock, cs_mock):
+            mock.patch('six.moves.cStringIO')) as (rsa_mock, cs_mock):
             cs_mock.return_value = mock.sentinel.csio
             pkey = 'mykey'
             ssh.Client('localhost', 'root', pkey=pkey)
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py b/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
index ae7860d..a4ef699 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@
 
 import os
 import shutil
-import StringIO
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
 
+import six
+
 from tempest.tests import base
 
 DEVNULL = open(os.devnull, 'wb')
@@ -50,8 +51,8 @@
         shutil.copy('tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh',
                     os.path.join(self.directory, 'pretty_tox_serial.sh'))
 
-        self.stdout = StringIO.StringIO()
-        self.stderr = StringIO.StringIO()
+        self.stdout = six.StringIO()
+        self.stderr = six.StringIO()
         # Change directory, run wrapper and check result
         self.addCleanup(os.chdir, os.path.abspath(os.curdir))
         os.chdir(self.directory)