diff --git a/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py b/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
index e9fe96d536c..a773e917fb9 100644
--- a/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
+++ b/test/runner/lib/sanity/__init__.py
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ class SanityCodeSmellTest(SanityTest):
 
             if data:
                 display.info(data, verbosity=4)
+
         try:
             stdout, stderr = run_command(args, cmd, data=data, env=env, capture=True)
             status = 0
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/azure-requirements.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/azure-requirements.py
index 95ab47d0f48..dc3554c698d 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/azure-requirements.py
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/azure-requirements.py
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ def main():
     src = 'packaging/requirements/requirements-azure.txt'
     dst = 'test/runner/requirements/integration.cloud.azure.txt'
 
+    missing = [p for p in [src, dst] if not os.path.isfile(p)]
+
+    if missing:
+        for path in missing:
+            print('%s: missing required file' % path)
+
+        return
+
     if not filecmp.cmp(src, dst):
         print('%s: must be identical to `%s`' % (dst, src))
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.json b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..776590b74d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "extensions": [
+        ".py"
+    ],
+    "output": "path-line-column-message"
+}
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.py b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..f12b18efbf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import os
+import re
+import sys
+
+
+def main():
+    skip = set([
+        'test/sanity/code-smell/%s' % os.path.basename(__file__),
+    ])
+
+    for path in sys.argv[1:] or sys.stdin.read().splitlines():
+        if path in skip:
+            continue
+
+        with open(path, 'r') as path_fd:
+            for line, text in enumerate(path_fd.readlines()):
+                match = re.search(r'(unicode_literals)', text)
+
+                if match:
+                    print('%s:%d:%d: do not use `unicode_literals`' % (
+                        path, line + 1, match.start(1) + 1))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.sh b/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index e659242b18d..00000000000
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/no-unicode-literals.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-UNICODE_LITERALS_USERS=$(grep -r unicode_literals . \
-    --exclude-dir .git \
-    --exclude-dir .tox \
-    --exclude no-unicode-literals.sh \
-    --exclude no-unicode-literals.rst |
-    grep -v ./test/results | \
-    grep -v ansible.egg-info/SOURCES.txt \
-    )
-
-if [ "${UNICODE_LITERALS_USERS}" ]; then
-    echo "${UNICODE_LITERALS_USERS}"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-exit 0