diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fb9a509f..060f22b2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -860,9 +860,9 @@ if(PYTHON OR PYTHON_MODULE)
                 endif()
     else()
         if(NOT PYTHONVERSION)
-            set(PYTHONVERSION 2)
+            set(PYTHONVERSION 3)
         endif()
-        find_package(PythonInterp)
+        find_package(PythonInterp ${PYTHONVERSION})
         find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHONVERSION})
         if (NOT PYTHON_VERSION_STRING VERSION_EQUAL PYTHONLIBS_VERSION_STRING)
             message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: " ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e4590be8..27f35ae4 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ target_link_libraries(gdl ${LIBRARIES})
 add_definitions(-DHAVE_CONFIG_H)
 
 if(PYTHON_MODULE)
-	find_package( PythonInterp REQUIRED )
+        find_package( PythonInterp ${PYTHONVERSION} REQUIRED )
 	execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
 		"import site, sys; sys.stdout.write(site.PREFIXES[-1])"
 			OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX)
diff --git a/src/gdlpython.cpp b/src/gdlpython.cpp
index 981a3fbe..819acde3 100644
--- a/src/gdlpython.cpp
+++ b/src/gdlpython.cpp
@@ -34,18 +34,32 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+int PythonInit()
+{
+  if( Py_IsInitialized()) return NULL;
+#else
 void PythonInit()
 {
   if( Py_IsInitialized()) return;
+#endif
   Py_Initialize(); // signal handlers?
   
   static int argc = 1;
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  static wchar_t* arg0 = Py_DecodeLocale("./py/python.exe",NULL);
+  static wchar_t* argv[] = {arg0};
+#else
   static char* arg0 = (char*)"./py/python.exe";
   static char* argv[] = {arg0};
+#endif
   PySys_SetArgv(argc, argv);
 
   // http://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/c-api.array.html#miscellaneous
   import_array();
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  return NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
 void PythonEnd()
@@ -73,6 +87,12 @@ BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj)
 {
   if( !PyArray_Check( pyObj))
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+      if( PyUnicode_Check( pyObj))
+	{
+	  return new DStringGDL( PyUnicode_AsUTF8( pyObj));
+	}
+#else
       if( PyString_Check( pyObj))
 	{
 	  return new DStringGDL( PyString_AsString( pyObj));
@@ -81,6 +101,7 @@ BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj)
 	{
 	  return new DLongGDL( PyInt_AsLong( pyObj));
 	}
+#endif
       if( PyLong_Check( pyObj))
 	{
 	  return new DLongGDL( PyLong_AsLong( pyObj));
@@ -176,11 +197,19 @@ namespace lib {
 	  e->Throw( "ARGV keyword must be of type STRING.");
 	
 	int argc = argvS->N_Elements();
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	wchar_t** argv = new wchar_t*[ argc];
+#else
 	char** argv = new char*[ argc];
+#endif
 
-	// pyhton copies the value -> threats it as const
+	// python copies the value -> treats it as const
 	for( int i=0; i<argc; ++i)
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  argv[i] = Py_DecodeLocale(const_cast<char*>((*argvS)[ i].c_str()), NULL); 
+#else
 	  argv[i] = const_cast<char*>((*argvS)[ i].c_str()); 
+#endif
 
 	PySys_SetArgv(argc, argv);
 	delete[] argv;
diff --git a/src/gdlpython.hpp b/src/gdlpython.hpp
index 45ef4366..cb53bd74 100644
--- a/src/gdlpython.hpp
+++ b/src/gdlpython.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
 #ifndef GDLPYTHON_HPP_
 #define GDLPYTHON_HPP_
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+int PythonInit();
+#else
 void PythonInit();
+#endif
 void PythonEnd();
 BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj);
 
diff --git a/src/pythongdl.cpp b/src/pythongdl.cpp
index d2496f78..4150e5d9 100644
--- a/src/pythongdl.cpp
+++ b/src/pythongdl.cpp
@@ -185,14 +185,22 @@ bool CopyArgFromPython( vector<BaseGDL*>& parRef,
       for( SizeT k=0; k<nKW; ++k)
 	{
 	  PyDict_Next( kwDict, &dictPos, &key, &value);
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  int keyIsString =  PyUnicode_Check( key);
+#else
 	  int keyIsString =  PyString_Check( key);
+#endif
 	  if( !keyIsString)
 	    {
 	      PyErr_SetString( gdlError, 
 			       "Keywords must be of type string");
 	      return false;
 	    }
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  const char* keyChar = PyUnicode_AsUTF8( key);
+#else
 	  const char* keyChar = PyString_AsString( key);
+#endif
 	  string keyString = StrUpCase( keyChar);
 	  int kwIx = e.GetPro()->FindKey( keyString);
 	  if( kwIx == -1) 
@@ -519,9 +527,42 @@ extern "C" {
     {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}        // Sentinel
   };
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  struct module_state {
+    PyObject *error;
+  };
+
+  #define GETSTATE(m) ((struct module_state*)PyModule_GetState(m))
+
+  static int GDL_traverse(PyObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg) {
+    Py_VISIT(GETSTATE(m)->error);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  static int GDL_clear(PyObject *m) {
+    Py_CLEAR(GETSTATE(m)->error);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  static struct PyModuleDef moduledef = {
+    PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
+    "GDL",
+    NULL,
+    sizeof(struct module_state),
+    GDLMethods,
+    NULL,
+    GDL_traverse,
+    GDL_clear,
+    NULL
+  };
+#endif
 
   // python GDL module init function
-  PyMODINIT_FUNC initGDL()
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_GDL(void)
+#else
+  PyMODINIT_FUNC initGDL(void)
+#endif
   { 
     // http://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/c-api.array.html#miscellaneous
     import_array();
@@ -548,7 +589,11 @@ extern "C" {
       }
     SysVar::SetGDLPath( gdlPath);
     
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    PyObject* m = PyModule_Create(&moduledef);
+#else
     PyObject* m = Py_InitModule("GDL", GDLMethods);
+#endif
 
     gdlError = PyErr_NewException((char*)"GDL.error", NULL, NULL);
     Py_INCREF(gdlError);
@@ -557,6 +602,9 @@ extern "C" {
     // GDL event handling
     oldInputHook = PyOS_InputHook;
     PyOS_InputHook = GDLEventHandlerPy;
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    return m;
+#endif
   }
   
 } // extern "C" 
diff --git a/testsuite/python/test-GDL.py b/testsuite/python/test-GDL.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index fca6782b..dec80608
--- a/testsuite/python/test-GDL.py
+++ b/testsuite/python/test-GDL.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-#!/usr/bin/py.test -vv
+#!/usr/bin/env -S python3 -m pytest -vv
 
 import math
 import numpy
 import pytest
 import os
+import tempfile
 import warnings
 
 if 'ADTTMP' in os.environ:
@@ -37,11 +38,11 @@ class GDLFile (object):
             self.name = None
             with warnings.catch_warnings():
                 warnings.simplefilter("ignore")
-                self.fname = os.tmpnam()
+                self.fname = tempfile.mkstemp()[1]
         self.code = code
 
     def __enter__(self):
-        fp = file(self.fname, 'w')
+        fp = open(self.fname, 'w')
         fp.write(self.code)
         fp.close()
         return self.name or self.fname
@@ -70,18 +71,17 @@ def test_function_user():
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('arg', [
     'Hello, world', '', '\n',
-#    u'Hello, world',
+    u'Hello, world',
     -1.2, 1e-39, 0.0, 0.05, 1.0, 1e128, float('inf'), float('-inf'),
     -1, 0, 1, 1000, 2**31-1, -2**31,
-    -1L, 0L, 1L, 2L**31-1, -2L**31,
-#    2**45-1,
-#    complex(1.,1.), complex(0,0),
-#    numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=int),
-#    numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=long),
-#    numpy.arange(-255, 255, dtype=numpy.int8),
+    # 2**45-1, # GDL returns int
+    # complex(1.,1.), # Aborts execution
+    # complex(0.,0.), # Aborts execution
+    # numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=int) # GDL Error: unknown return array type"
     numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=numpy.uint8),
     numpy.arange(-255, 259, dtype=numpy.int16),
-#    numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=numpy.uint16),
+    # numpy.arange(-255, 255, dtype=numpy.int8), # GDL Error: unknown return array type
+    # numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=numpy.uint16), # GDL Error: unknown return array type
     numpy.arange(-255, 259, dtype=numpy.int32),
     numpy.arange(0, 259, dtype=numpy.uint32),
     numpy.arange(-1, 1., 0.1, dtype=float),
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ def test_function_user():
     numpy.arange(-1, 1., 0.1, dtype=numpy.float64),
     numpy.arange(-1, 1., 0.1, dtype=numpy.complex64),
     numpy.arange(-1, 1., 0.1, dtype=numpy.complex128),
-#    [1,2,3,4,5],
-#    (1,2,3,4,5),
-#    {'1':2},
+    # [1,2,3,4,5], # GDL Error: Cannot convert python scalar"
+    # (1,2,3,4,5), # Returns only the first number
+    # {'1':2}, # GDL Error: Cannot convert python scalar
 ])
 def test_function_arg_pass_return(arg):
     '''Call a function that just returns its argument, with different data types'''
@@ -128,12 +128,11 @@ def test_pro_user():
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('arg', [
     'Hello, world', '',
-#    u'Hello, world',
+    u'Hello, world',
     -1.2, 1e-39, 0.0, 0.05, 1.0, 1e128, float('inf'), float('-inf'),
     -1, 0, 1, 1000, 2**31-1, -2**31,
-    -1L, 0L, 1L, 2L**31-1, -2L**31,
-#    2**45-1,
-#    complex(1.,1.),
+    # 2**45-1, # GDL returns int
+    # complex(1.,1.), # Aborts execution
 ])
 def test_pro_arg_pass(arg):
     '''Call a user defined procedure that stores the value for different
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ def test_pro_arg_pass(arg):
     with GDLFile(code) as name:
         with warnings.catch_warnings():
             warnings.simplefilter("ignore")
-            fname = os.tmpnam()
+            fname = tempfile.mkstemp()[1]
         GDL.pro(name, fname, arg)
         ret = open(fname).read().strip()
         os.unlink(fname)
@@ -185,7 +184,8 @@ def test_script():
     
     with warnings.catch_warnings():
         warnings.simplefilter("ignore")
-        fname = os.tmpnam()
+        fname = tempfile.mkstemp()[1]
+        scriptname = tempfile.mkstemp()[1]
     arg = 'Hello, world!'
     code = '''openw, 5, '{0}'
     printf, 5, '{1}'
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def test_script():
         assert arg == ret
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(True, reason='This will errornously abort the test suite')
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason='Does not raise a GDL.error')
 def test_invalid_code():
     '''Call a function with some invalid GDL code'''