diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py b/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
index c30c776caa15..1fee377ef1bf 100644
--- a/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ def test_instance_construction_errors(self):
       SomeTypedDatatype()
     expected_msg = """\
 error: in constructor of type SomeTypedDatatype: type check error:
-missing arguments: [u'val']"""
+missing arguments: [{}'val']""".format('u' if PY2 else '')
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), expected_msg)
 
     # unrecognized fields
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ def test_instance_construction_errors(self):
 error: in constructor of type SomeTypedDatatype: type check error:
 too many positional arguments: 2 arguments for 1 fields!
 args: (3, 4)
-fields: [u'val']"""
+fields: [{}'val']""".format('u' if PY2 else '')
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), expected_msg)
 
     with self.assertRaises(TypedDatatypeInstanceConstructionError) as cm: