diff --git a/tests/data/simple_pkg/ping.py b/tests/data/simple_pkg/ping.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..722f7b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/simple_pkg/ping.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+
+def ping(*args):
+    return args
+
+
diff --git a/tests/fakessh_test.py b/tests/fakessh_test.py
index 63c70058..e7dde711 100644
--- a/tests/fakessh_test.py
+++ b/tests/fakessh_test.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 
-import timeoutcontext
 import unittest2
 
 import mitogen.fakessh
@@ -11,7 +10,6 @@ import testlib
 
 
 class RsyncTest(testlib.DockerMixin, testlib.TestCase):
-    @timeoutcontext.timeout(5)
     @unittest2.skip('broken')
     def test_rsync_from_master(self):
         context = self.docker_ssh_any()
@@ -28,7 +26,6 @@ class RsyncTest(testlib.DockerMixin, testlib.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(context.call(os.path.exists, '/tmp/data'))
         self.assertTrue(context.call(os.path.exists, '/tmp/data/simple_pkg/a.py'))
 
-    @timeoutcontext.timeout(5)
     @unittest2.skip('broken')
     def test_rsync_between_direct_children(self):
         # master -> SSH -> mitogen__has_sudo_pubkey -> rsync(.ssh) -> master ->
diff --git a/tests/two_three_compat_test.py b/tests/two_three_compat_test.py
index f6f092d0..f30a233e 100644
--- a/tests/two_three_compat_test.py
+++ b/tests/two_three_compat_test.py
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ import mitogen.core
 import mitogen.master
 
 import testlib
+import simple_pkg.ping
 
 
-def roundtrip(*args):
-    return args
-
+# TODO: this is a joke. 2/3 interop is one of the hardest bits to get right.
+# There should be 100 tests in this file.
 
 class TwoThreeCompatTest(testlib.RouterMixin, testlib.TestCase):
     if mitogen.core.PY3:
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ class TwoThreeCompatTest(testlib.RouterMixin, testlib.TestCase):
         python_path = 'python3'
 
     def test_succeeds(self):
-        spare = self.router.fork()
+        spare = self.router.local()
         target = self.router.local(python_path=self.python_path)
 
-        spare2, = target.call(roundtrip, spare)
+        spare2, = target.call(simple_pkg.ping.ping, spare)
         self.assertEquals(spare.context_id, spare2.context_id)
         self.assertEquals(spare.name, spare2.name)
 
diff --git a/tests/utils_test.py b/tests/utils_test.py
index 5b81289e..17b260db 100644
--- a/tests/utils_test.py
+++ b/tests/utils_test.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import unittest2
 import mitogen.core
 import mitogen.master
 import mitogen.utils
+from mitogen.core import b
 
 import testlib
 
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class CastTest(testlib.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(type(mitogen.utils.cast(Unicode())), mitogen.core.UnicodeType)
 
     def test_bytes(self):
-        self.assertEqual(type(mitogen.utils.cast(b'')), mitogen.core.BytesType)
+        self.assertEqual(type(mitogen.utils.cast(b(''))), mitogen.core.BytesType)
         self.assertEqual(type(mitogen.utils.cast(Bytes())), mitogen.core.BytesType)
 
     def test_unknown(self):