diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index f13edbd213..2afc26707a 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 import json
 import shutil
 import mock
+
+from textwrap import dedent
+
 from django.test.client import Client
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -314,7 +317,11 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
 
     @mock.patch('xmodule.course_module.requests.get')
     def test_import_textbook_as_content_element(self, mock_get):
-        mock_get.return_value.text = u'<?xml version="1.0"?>\n<table_of_contents>\n  <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/></table_of_contents>\n'
+        mock_get.return_value.text = dedent("""
+            <?xml version="1.0"?><table_of_contents>
+            <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/>
+            </table_of_contents>
+        """).strip()
 
         module_store = modulestore('direct')
         import_from_xml(module_store, 'common/test/data/', ['toy'])
@@ -850,7 +857,11 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
 
     @mock.patch('xmodule.course_module.requests.get')
     def test_export_course(self, mock_get):
-        mock_get.return_value.text = u'<?xml version="1.0"?>\n<table_of_contents>\n  <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/></table_of_contents>\n'
+        mock_get.return_value.text = dedent("""
+            <?xml version="1.0"?><table_of_contents>
+            <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/>
+            </table_of_contents>
+        """).strip()
 
         module_store = modulestore('direct')
         draft_store = modulestore('draft')
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/tests.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/tests.py
index 5cf84d7088..21a7e392a0 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/tests.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/tests.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Test for lms courseware app
 import random
 import mock
 
+from textwrap import dedent
+
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
@@ -165,7 +167,12 @@ class TestCoursesLoadTestCase_MongoModulestore(PageLoaderTestCase):
 
     @mock.patch('xmodule.course_module.requests.get')
     def test_toy_textbooks_loads(self, mock_get):
-        mock_get.return_value.text = u'<?xml version="1.0"?>\n<table_of_contents>\n  <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/></table_of_contents>\n'
+        mock_get.return_value.text = dedent("""
+            <?xml version="1.0"?><table_of_contents>
+            <entry page="5" page_label="ii" name="Table of Contents"/>
+            </table_of_contents>
+        """).strip()
+
         module_store = modulestore()
         import_from_xml(module_store, TEST_DATA_DIR, ['toy'])
 
@@ -173,6 +180,7 @@ class TestCoursesLoadTestCase_MongoModulestore(PageLoaderTestCase):
 
         self.assertGreater(len(course.textbooks), 0)
 
+
 @override_settings(MODULESTORE=TEST_DATA_DRAFT_MONGO_MODULESTORE)
 class TestDraftModuleStore(TestCase):
     def test_get_items_with_course_items(self):