diff --git a/oml/item/api.py b/oml/item/api.py
index 55db710..fe60d4e 100644
--- a/oml/item/api.py
+++ b/oml/item/api.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def find(data):
     if 'group' in q:
         names = {}
         groups = {}
-        key = 'group:' + hashlib.sha1(json.dumps(data)).hexdigest()
+        key = 'group:' + hashlib.sha1(json.dumps(data).encode('utf-8')).hexdigest()
         g = state.cache.get(key)
         if g is None:
             items = [i.id for i in q['qs'].options(load_only('id'))]
diff --git a/oml/media/pdf.py b/oml/media/pdf.py
index d79fe31..13300a1 100644
--- a/oml/media/pdf.py
+++ b/oml/media/pdf.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import os
 import shutil
 from glob import glob
 
-#from pyPdf import PdfFileReader
+from pyPdf import PdfFileReader
 import stdnum.isbn
 
 import settings
diff --git a/oml/metaserver.py b/oml/metaserver.py
index fa45e97..5e35b33 100644
--- a/oml/metaserver.py
+++ b/oml/metaserver.py
@@ -2,17 +2,15 @@
 # vi:si:et:sw=4:sts=4:ts=4
 
 
-import os
-
 from tornado.web import Application
 from tornado.httpserver import HTTPServer
 from tornado.ioloop import IOLoop
 
-from . import oxtornado
-from .oxtornado import actions
+import oxtornado
+from oxtornado import actions
 
-from . import meta
-from . import utils
+import meta
+import utils
 
 import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger('metaoml')
diff --git a/oml/node/server.py b/oml/node/server.py
index c3c68a0..d4a7266 100644
--- a/oml/node/server.py
+++ b/oml/node/server.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class NodeHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
                         content = {'status': 'not peered'}
                         logger.debug('PEER %s IS UNKNOWN SEND 403', key)
                         self.set_status(403)
-        content = json.dumps(content)
+        content = json.dumps(content).encode('utf-8')
         sig = settings.sk.sign(content, encoding='base64')
         self.set_header('X-Ed25519-Signature', sig)
         self.set_header('X-Node-Protocol', settings.NODE_PROTOCOL)
diff --git a/oml/nodes.py b/oml/nodes.py
index 055a374..4bcc5ee 100644
--- a/oml/nodes.py
+++ b/oml/nodes.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ ENCODING='base64'
 class Node(Thread):
     _running = True
     _cert = None
+    host = None
     online = False
     download_speed = 0
     TIMEOUT = 5
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ class Node(Thread):
             logger.debug('unable to find host %s', self.user_id)
             self.online = False
             return None
-        content = json.dumps([action, args])
+        content = json.dumps([action, args]).encode('utf-8')
         sig = settings.sk.sign(content, encoding=ENCODING)
         headers = {
             'User-Agent': settings.USER_AGENT,
@@ -137,7 +138,8 @@ class Node(Thread):
         }
         self._opener.addheaders = list(zip(list(headers.keys()), list(headers.values())))
         try:
-            r = self._opener.open(url, data=content, timeout=self.TIMEOUT)
+            self._opener.timeout = self.TIMEOUT
+            r = self._opener.open(url, data=content)
         except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
             if e.code == 403:
                 logger.debug('REMOTE ENDED PEERING')
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ class Node(Thread):
 
         sig = r.headers.get('X-Ed25519-Signature')
         if sig and self._valid(data, sig):
-            response = json.loads(data)
+            response = json.loads(data.decode('utf-8'))
         else:
             logger.debug('invalid signature %s', data)
             response = None
@@ -202,7 +204,8 @@ class Node(Thread):
                     'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip',
                 }
                 self._opener.addheaders = list(zip(list(headers.keys()), list(headers.values())))
-                r = self._opener.open(url, timeout=1)
+                self._opener.timeout = 1
+                r = self._opener.open(url)
                 version = r.headers.get('X-Node-Protocol', None)
                 if version != settings.NODE_PROTOCOL:
                     logger.debug('version does not match local: %s remote %s', settings.NODE_PROTOCOL, version)
@@ -298,7 +301,8 @@ class Node(Thread):
         t1 = datetime.utcnow()
         logger.debug('download %s', url)
         self._opener.addheaders = list(zip(list(headers.keys()), list(headers.values())))
-        r = self._opener.open(url, timeout=self.TIMEOUT*2)
+        self._opener.timeout = self.TIMEOUT*2
+        r = self._opener.open(url)
         if r.getcode() == 200:
             if r.headers.get('content-encoding', None) == 'gzip':
                 content = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=r).read()
diff --git a/oml/ssl_request.py b/oml/ssl_request.py
index cfd2e69..caa4bec 100644
--- a/oml/ssl_request.py
+++ b/oml/ssl_request.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ class VerifiedHTTPSHandler(urllib.request.HTTPSHandler):
         def http_class_wrapper(host, **kwargs):
             full_kwargs = dict(self._connection_args)
             full_kwargs.update(kwargs)
+            print(self._connection_args)
+            print(kwargs)
+            if 'timeout' in full_kwargs:
+                del full_kwargs['timeout']
             return CertValidatingHTTPSConnection(host, **full_kwargs)
 
         try:
diff --git a/oml/utils.py b/oml/utils.py
index 8488117..ef8ca1f 100644
--- a/oml/utils.py
+++ b/oml/utils.py
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def remove_empty_tree(leaf):
         else:
             break
 
-utc_0 = int(time.mktime(datetime(1970, 0o1, 0o1).timetuple()))
+utc_0 = int(time.mktime(datetime(1970, 1, 1).timetuple()))
 
 def datetime2ts(dt):
     return int(time.mktime(dt.utctimetuple())) - utc_0