diff --git a/mitogen/core.py b/mitogen/core.py
index 1cdb4428..e5a714f3 100644
--- a/mitogen/core.py
+++ b/mitogen/core.py
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ def io_op(func, *args):
     while True:
         try:
             return func(*args), False
-        except (select.error, OSError), e:
+        except (select.error, OSError):
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             _vv and IOLOG.debug('io_op(%r) -> OSError: %s', func, e)
             if e[0] == errno.EINTR:
                 continue
@@ -327,7 +328,8 @@ class Message(object):
         self = cls(**kwargs)
         try:
             self.data = cPickle.dumps(obj, protocol=2)
-        except cPickle.PicklingError, e:
+        except cPickle.PicklingError:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             self.data = cPickle.dumps(CallError(e), protocol=2)
         return self
 
@@ -350,8 +352,9 @@ class Message(object):
                 # Must occur off the broker thread.
                 obj = unpickler.load()
                 self._unpickled = obj
-            except (TypeError, ValueError), ex:
-                raise StreamError('invalid message: %s', ex)
+            except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                e = sys.exc_info()[1]
+                raise StreamError('invalid message: %s', e)
 
         if throw:
             if obj == _DEAD and throw_dead:
@@ -1032,8 +1035,8 @@ class Latch(object):
         e = None
         try:
             io_op(select.select, [rsock], [], [], timeout)
-        except Exception, e:
-            pass
+        except Exception:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
 
         self._lock.acquire()
         try:
@@ -1074,7 +1077,8 @@ class Latch(object):
     def _wake(self, sock):
         try:
             os.write(sock.fileno(), '\x7f')
-        except OSError, e:
+        except OSError:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             if e[0] != errno.EBADF:
                 raise
 
@@ -1166,7 +1170,8 @@ class Waker(BasicStream):
         # ignore EBADF here.
         try:
             self.transmit_side.write(' ')
-        except OSError, e:
+        except OSError:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             if e[0] != errno.EBADF:
                 raise
 
@@ -1626,7 +1631,8 @@ class ExternalContext(object):
         for msg in self.channel:
             try:
                 msg.reply(self._dispatch_one(msg))
-            except Exception, e:
+            except Exception:
+                e = sys.exc_info()[1]
                 _v and LOG.debug('_dispatch_calls: %s', e)
                 msg.reply(CallError(e))
         self.dispatch_stopped = True
diff --git a/mitogen/fork.py b/mitogen/fork.py
index 5fd2281c..466fe3e0 100644
--- a/mitogen/fork.py
+++ b/mitogen/fork.py
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
     def _wrap_child_main(self, childfp):
         try:
             self._child_main(childfp)
-        except BaseException, e:
+        except BaseException:
             handle_child_crash()
 
     def _child_main(self, childfp):
diff --git a/mitogen/parent.py b/mitogen/parent.py
index ba4962e6..f1974907 100644
--- a/mitogen/parent.py
+++ b/mitogen/parent.py
@@ -393,11 +393,11 @@ def _proxy_connect(name, method_name, kwargs, econtext):
             name=name,
             **kwargs
         )
-    except mitogen.core.StreamError, e:
+    except mitogen.core.StreamError:
         return {
             'id': None,
             'name': None,
-            'msg': str(e),
+            'msg': str(sys.exc_info()[1]),
         }
 
     return {
diff --git a/mitogen/service.py b/mitogen/service.py
index abbc6bb1..bd93eff1 100644
--- a/mitogen/service.py
+++ b/mitogen/service.py
@@ -181,11 +181,13 @@ class Service(object):
             response = self._on_receive_message(msg)
             if response is not self.NO_REPLY:
                 msg.reply(response)
-        except mitogen.core.CallError, e:
+        except mitogen.core.CallError:
             LOG.warning('%r: %s', self, msg)
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             msg.reply(e)
-        except Exception, e:
+        except Exception:
             LOG.exception('While invoking %r.dispatch()', self)
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             msg.reply(mitogen.core.CallError(e))
 
 
@@ -250,9 +252,11 @@ class DeduplicatingService(Service):
         try:
             response = getattr(self, method_name)(**kwargs)
             self._produce_response(key, response)
-        except mitogen.core.CallError, e:
+        except mitogen.core.CallError:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             self._produce_response(key, e)
-        except Exception, e:
+        except Exception:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
             self._produce_response(key, mitogen.core.CallError(e))
 
         return self.NO_REPLY
diff --git a/mitogen/unix.py b/mitogen/unix.py
index 90b8f8bb..376ddf65 100644
--- a/mitogen/unix.py
+++ b/mitogen/unix.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import errno
 import os
 import socket
 import struct
+import sys
 import tempfile
 
 import mitogen.core
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ def is_path_dead(path):
     s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
     try:
         s.connect(path)
-    except socket.error, e:
+    except socket.error:
+        e = sys.exc_info()[1]
         return e[0] in (errno.ECONNREFUSED, errno.ENOENT)
     return False