diff --git a/test/sanity/code-smell/shebang.sh b/test/sanity/code-smell/shebang.sh
index 6b1c07f0678..0bc77b818dc 100755
--- a/test/sanity/code-smell/shebang.sh
+++ b/test/sanity/code-smell/shebang.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ grep '^#!' -rIn . \
     -e '^\./lib/ansible/modules/' \
     -e '^\./test/integration/targets/[^/]*/library/[^/]*:#!powershell$' \
     -e '^\./test/integration/targets/[^/]*/library/[^/]*:#!/usr/bin/python$' \
-    -e '^\./test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules:#!/usr/bin/env python2$' \
     -e '^\./hacking/cherrypick.py:#!/usr/bin/env python3$' \
     -e ':#!/bin/sh$' \
     -e ':#!/bin/bash( -[eux]|$)' \
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py b/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
index 155b09c6ae3..ffef4922a84 100644
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
@@ -17,52 +17,62 @@
 #    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 from voluptuous import PREVENT_EXTRA, Any, Required, Schema
+from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
+list_string_types = list(string_types)
 
 suboption_schema = Schema(
     {
-        Required('description'): Any(basestring, [basestring]),
+        Required('description'): Any(list_string_types, *string_types),
         'required': bool,
         'choices': list,
-        'aliases': Any(basestring, list),
-        'version_added': Any(basestring, float),
-        'default': Any(None, basestring, float, int, bool, list, dict),
+        'aliases': Any(list, *string_types),
+        'version_added': Any(float, *string_types),
+        'default': Any(None, float, int, bool, list, dict, *string_types),
         # Note: Types are strings, not literal bools, such as True or False
         'type': Any(None, "bool")
     },
     extra=PREVENT_EXTRA
 )
 
+# This generates list of dicts with keys from string_types and suboption_schema value
+# for example in Python 3: {str: suboption_schema}
+list_dict_suboption_schema = [{str_type: suboption_schema} for str_type in string_types]
+
 option_schema = Schema(
     {
-        Required('description'): Any(basestring, [basestring]),
+        Required('description'): Any(list_string_types, *string_types),
         'required': bool,
         'choices': list,
-        'aliases': Any(basestring, list),
-        'version_added': Any(basestring, float),
-        'default': Any(None, basestring, float, int, bool, list, dict),
-        'suboptions': Any(None, {basestring: suboption_schema,}),
+        'aliases': Any(list, *string_types),
+        'version_added': Any(float, *string_types),
+        'default': Any(None, float, int, bool, list, dict, *string_types),
+        'suboptions': Any(None, *list_dict_suboption_schema),
         # Note: Types are strings, not literal bools, such as True or False
         'type': Any(None, "bool")
     },
     extra=PREVENT_EXTRA
 )
 
+# This generates list of dicts with keys from string_types and option_schema value
+# for example in Python 3: {str: option_schema}
+list_dict_option_schema = [{str_type: option_schema} for str_type in string_types]
+
 def doc_schema(module_name):
     if module_name.startswith('_'):
         module_name = module_name[1:]
     return Schema(
         {
             Required('module'): module_name,
-            'deprecated': basestring,
-            Required('short_description'): basestring,
-            Required('description'): Any(basestring, [basestring]),
-            Required('version_added'): Any(basestring, float),
-            Required('author'): Any(None, basestring, [basestring]),
-            'notes': Any(None, [basestring]),
-            'requirements': [basestring],
-            'todo': Any(None, basestring, [basestring]),
-            'options': Any(None, {basestring: option_schema}),
-            'extends_documentation_fragment': Any(basestring, [basestring])
+            'deprecated': Any(*string_types),
+            Required('short_description'): Any(*string_types),
+            Required('description'): Any(list_string_types, *string_types),
+            Required('version_added'): Any(float, *string_types),
+            Required('author'): Any(None, list_string_types, *string_types),
+            'notes': Any(None, list_string_types),
+            'requirements': list_string_types,
+            'todo': Any(None, list_string_types, *string_types),
+            'options': Any(None, *list_dict_option_schema),
+            'extends_documentation_fragment': Any(list_string_types, *string_types)
         },
         extra=PREVENT_EXTRA
     )
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/utils.py b/test/sanity/validate-modules/utils.py
index dbda4938c7a..c997de64a69 100644
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/utils.py
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/utils.py
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
 import ast
 import sys
 
-# We only use StringIO, since we cannot setattr on cStringIO
-from StringIO import StringIO
+from io import BytesIO, TextIOWrapper
 
 import yaml
 import yaml.reader
@@ -55,10 +54,8 @@ class CaptureStd():
     def __enter__(self):
         self.sys_stdout = sys.stdout
         self.sys_stderr = sys.stderr
-        sys.stdout = self.stdout = StringIO()
-        sys.stderr = self.stderr = StringIO()
-        setattr(sys.stdout, 'encoding', self.sys_stdout.encoding)
-        setattr(sys.stderr, 'encoding', self.sys_stderr.encoding)
+        sys.stdout = self.stdout = TextIOWrapper(BytesIO(), encoding=self.sys_stdout.encoding)
+        sys.stderr = self.stderr = TextIOWrapper(BytesIO(), encoding=self.sys_stderr.encoding)
         return self
 
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
index 07e3089c57f..ee55e2a0589 100755
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python2
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2015 Matt Martz <matt@sivel.net>
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ from schema import doc_schema, option_schema, metadata_schema
 from utils import CaptureStd, parse_yaml
 from voluptuous.humanize import humanize_error
 
+from ansible.module_utils.six import PY3, with_metaclass
+
+if PY3:
+    # Because there is no ast.TryExcept in Python 3 ast module
+    TRY_EXCEPT = ast.Try
+    # REPLACER_WINDOWS from ansible.executor.module_common is byte
+    # string but we need unicode for Python 3
+    REPLACER_WINDOWS = REPLACER_WINDOWS.decode('utf-8')
+else:
+    TRY_EXCEPT = ast.TryExcept
 
 BLACKLIST_DIRS = frozenset(('.git', 'test', '.github', '.idea'))
 INDENT_REGEX = re.compile(r'([\t]*)')
@@ -78,6 +88,7 @@ class ReporterEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
 
 
 class Reporter(object):
+
     @staticmethod
     @contextmanager
     def _output_handle(output):
@@ -93,10 +104,10 @@ class Reporter(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _filter_out_ok(reports):
-        temp_reports = reports.copy()
-        for path, report in temp_reports.items():
-            if not (report['errors'] or report['warnings']):
-                del temp_reports[path]
+        temp_reports = OrderedDict()
+        for path, report in reports.items():
+            if report['errors'] or report['warnings']:
+                temp_reports[path] = report
 
         return temp_reports
 
@@ -148,11 +159,10 @@ class Reporter(object):
         return 3 if sum(ret) else 0
 
 
-class Validator(object):
+class Validator(with_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta, object)):
     """Validator instances are intended to be run on a single object.  if you
     are scanning multiple objects for problems, you'll want to have a separate
     Validator for each one."""
-    __metaclass__ = abc.ABCMeta
 
     def __init__(self):
         self.reset()
@@ -352,7 +362,7 @@ class ModuleValidator(Validator):
             names = []
             if isinstance(child, ast.Import):
                 names.extend(child.names)
-            elif isinstance(child, ast.TryExcept):
+            elif isinstance(child, TRY_EXCEPT):
                 bodies = child.body
                 for handler in child.handlers:
                     bodies.extend(handler.body)
@@ -459,7 +469,7 @@ class ModuleValidator(Validator):
         for child in self.ast.body:
             found_try_except_import = False
             found_has = False
-            if isinstance(child, ast.TryExcept):
+            if isinstance(child, TRY_EXCEPT):
                 bodies = child.body
                 for handler in child.handlers:
                     bodies.extend(handler.body)
@@ -498,7 +508,7 @@ class ModuleValidator(Validator):
                          'line %d' % (child.lineno,))
                     ))
                     break
-            elif isinstance(child, ast.TryExcept):
+            elif isinstance(child, TRY_EXCEPT):
                 bodies = child.body
                 for handler in child.handlers:
                     bodies.extend(handler.body)
@@ -970,7 +980,7 @@ def main():
                 reports.update(mv.report())
 
         for root, dirs, files in os.walk(module):
-            basedir = root[len(module)+1:].split('/', 1)[0]
+            basedir = root[len(module) + 1:].split('/', 1)[0]
             if basedir in BLACKLIST_DIRS:
                 continue
             for dirname in dirs:
@@ -1027,7 +1037,7 @@ class GitCache(object):
         cmd = ['git'] + args
         p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
         stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
-        return stdout.splitlines()
+        return stdout.decode('utf-8').splitlines()
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':