diff --git a/bin/up2k.py b/bin/up2k.py
index ac077b2b..0318a228 100755
--- a/bin/up2k.py
+++ b/bin/up2k.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 
 # from copyparty/__init__.py
-PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
+PY2 = sys.version_info < (3,)
 if PY2:
     from Queue import Queue
     from urllib import unquote
diff --git a/copyparty/__init__.py b/copyparty/__init__.py
index cf7e50f0..8b78a3d2 100644
--- a/copyparty/__init__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ try:
 except:
     TYPE_CHECKING = False
 
-PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
+PY2 = sys.version_info < (3,)
 if PY2:
     sys.dont_write_bytecode = True
     unicode = unicode  # noqa: F821  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable,self-assigning-variable
diff --git a/copyparty/stolen/surrogateescape.py b/copyparty/stolen/surrogateescape.py
index b1ff8886..c11b455f 100644
--- a/copyparty/stolen/surrogateescape.py
+++ b/copyparty/stolen/surrogateescape.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import codecs
 import platform
 import sys
 
-PY3 = sys.version_info[0] > 2
+PY3 = sys.version_info > (3,)
 WINDOWS = platform.system() == "Windows"
 FS_ERRORS = "surrogateescape"
 
@@ -26,20 +26,6 @@ except:
     pass
 
 
-def u(text: Any) -> str:
-    if PY3:
-        return text
-    else:
-        return text.decode("unicode_escape")
-
-
-def b(data: Any) -> bytes:
-    if PY3:
-        return data.encode("latin1")
-    else:
-        return data
-
-
 if PY3:
     _unichr = chr
     bytes_chr = lambda code: bytes((code,))
@@ -171,9 +157,6 @@ def decodefilename(fn: bytes) -> str:
 
 
 FS_ENCODING = sys.getfilesystemencoding()
-# FS_ENCODING = "ascii"; fn = b("[abc\xff]"); encoded = u("[abc\udcff]")
-# FS_ENCODING = 'cp932'; fn = b('[abc\x81\x00]'); encoded = u('[abc\udc81\x00]')
-# FS_ENCODING = 'UTF-8'; fn = b('[abc\xff]'); encoded = u('[abc\udcff]')
 
 
 if WINDOWS and not PY3:
diff --git a/copyparty/svchub.py b/copyparty/svchub.py
index b3cec559..ecaf7975 100644
--- a/copyparty/svchub.py
+++ b/copyparty/svchub.py
@@ -480,17 +480,10 @@ class SvcHub(object):
             print(*a, **ka)
 
     def check_mp_support(self) -> str:
-        vmin = sys.version_info[1]
-        if WINDOWS:
-            msg = "need python 3.3 or newer for multiprocessing;"
-            if PY2 or vmin < 3:
-                return msg
-        elif MACOS:
+        if MACOS:
             return "multiprocessing is wonky on mac osx;"
-        else:
-            msg = "need python 3.3+ for multiprocessing;"
-            if PY2 or vmin < 3:
-                return msg
+        elif sys.version_info < (3, 3):
+            return "need python 3.3 or newer for multiprocessing;"
 
         try:
             x: mp.Queue[tuple[str, str]] = mp.Queue(1)
diff --git a/copyparty/util.py b/copyparty/util.py
index 70ea9f8b..d343974a 100644
--- a/copyparty/util.py
+++ b/copyparty/util.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ else:
     FS_ENCODING = sys.getfilesystemencoding()
 
 
-SYMTIME = sys.version_info >= (3, 6) and os.utime in os.supports_follow_symlinks
+SYMTIME = sys.version_info > (3, 6) and os.utime in os.supports_follow_symlinks
 
 HTTP_TS_FMT = "%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S GMT"
 
diff --git a/scripts/sfx.py b/scripts/sfx.py
index 842a69f3..52ef23dd 100644
--- a/scripts/sfx.py
+++ b/scripts/sfx.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ SIZE = None
 CKSUM = None
 STAMP = None
 
-PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
+PY2 = sys.version_info < (3,)
 WINDOWS = sys.platform in ["win32", "msys"]
 sys.dont_write_bytecode = True
 me = os.path.abspath(os.path.realpath(__file__))