diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 021dc1d610..fcdc8e6e10 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ def run(hs):
     if hs.config.daemonize:
 
         if hs.config.print_pidfile:
-            print hs.config.pid_file
+            print (hs.config.pid_file)
 
         daemon = Daemonize(
             app="synapse-homeserver",
diff --git a/synapse/app/synctl.py b/synapse/app/synctl.py
index 9249e36d82..ab3a31d7b7 100755
--- a/synapse/app/synctl.py
+++ b/synapse/app/synctl.py
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ NORMAL = "\x1b[m"
 
 
 def start(configfile):
-    print "Starting ...",
+    print ("Starting ...")
     args = SYNAPSE
     args.extend(["--daemonize", "-c", configfile])
 
     try:
         subprocess.check_call(args)
-        print GREEN + "started" + NORMAL
+        print (GREEN + "started" + NORMAL)
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
         print (
             RED +
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def stop(pidfile):
     if os.path.exists(pidfile):
         pid = int(open(pidfile).read())
         os.kill(pid, signal.SIGTERM)
-        print GREEN + "stopped" + NORMAL
+        print (GREEN + "stopped" + NORMAL)
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/synapse/config/__main__.py b/synapse/config/__main__.py
index 0a3b70e11f..58c97a70af 100644
--- a/synapse/config/__main__.py
+++ b/synapse/config/__main__.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             sys.stderr.write("\n" + e.message + "\n")
             sys.exit(1)
 
-        print getattr(config, key)
+        print (getattr(config, key))
         sys.exit(0)
     else:
         sys.stderr.write("Unknown command %r\n" % (action,))
diff --git a/synapse/config/_base.py b/synapse/config/_base.py
index 15d78ff33a..7449f36491 100644
--- a/synapse/config/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/config/_base.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Config(object):
         dir_path = cls.abspath(dir_path)
         try:
             os.makedirs(dir_path)
-        except OSError, e:
+        except OSError as e:
             if e.errno != errno.EEXIST:
                 raise
         if not os.path.isdir(dir_path):
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/federation.py b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
index 6e50b0963e..27f2b40bfe 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/federation.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ class FederationHandler(BaseHandler):
                         limit=100,
                         extremities=[e for e in extremities.keys()]
                     )
-                except SynapseError:
+                except SynapseError as e:
                     logger.info(
                         "Failed to backfill from %s because %s",
                         dom, e,
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/register.py b/synapse/handlers/register.py
index c5e5b28811..e2ace6a4e5 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/register.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/register.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
                 password_hash=None
             )
             yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
-        except Exception, e:
+        except Exception as e:
             yield self.store.add_access_token_to_user(user_id, token)
             # Ignore Registration errors
             logger.exception(e)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py b/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
index f13272da8e..c14e8af00e 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ class SAML2RestServlet(ClientV1RestServlet):
             SP = Saml2Client(conf)
             saml2_auth = SP.parse_authn_request_response(
                 request.args['SAMLResponse'][0], BINDING_HTTP_POST)
-        except Exception, e:        # Not authenticated
+        except Exception as e:        # Not authenticated
             logger.exception(e)
         if saml2_auth and saml2_auth.status_ok() and not saml2_auth.not_signed:
             username = saml2_auth.name_id.text
diff --git a/synapse/util/caches/expiringcache.py b/synapse/util/caches/expiringcache.py
index e863a8f8a9..2b68c1ac93 100644
--- a/synapse/util/caches/expiringcache.py
+++ b/synapse/util/caches/expiringcache.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class ExpiringCache(object):
         if self._max_len and len(self._cache.keys()) > self._max_len:
             sorted_entries = sorted(
                 self._cache.items(),
-                key=lambda (k, v): v.time,
+                key=lambda item: item[1].time,
             )
 
             for k, _ in sorted_entries[self._max_len:]: