diff --git a/tools/release/PRESUBMIT.py b/tools/release/PRESUBMIT.py
index ccec6cd7ef..ed4557d98e 100644
--- a/tools/release/PRESUBMIT.py
+++ b/tools/release/PRESUBMIT.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ USE_PYTHON3 = True
 
 def _CommonChecks(input_api, output_api):
   tests = input_api.canned_checks.GetUnitTestsInDirectory(
-      input_api, output_api, '.', files_to_check=['test_scripts.py$'])
+      input_api, output_api, '.', files_to_check=['test_scripts.py$'],
+      run_on_python2=False)
   return input_api.RunTests(tests)
 
 def CheckChangeOnUpload(input_api, output_api):
diff --git a/tools/release/auto_push.py b/tools/release/auto_push.py
index 4cb968787f..eb52e2a316 100755
--- a/tools/release/auto_push.py
+++ b/tools/release/auto_push.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2013 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 import json
 import os
diff --git a/tools/release/auto_roll.py b/tools/release/auto_roll.py
index 2aa4ff6829..5d44505c2a 100755
--- a/tools/release/auto_roll.py
+++ b/tools/release/auto_roll.py
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 # Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 # found in the LICENSE file.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 import os
 import sys
diff --git a/tools/release/auto_tag.py b/tools/release/auto_tag.py
index 7e77c313d8..1ec9d9431c 100755
--- a/tools/release/auto_tag.py
+++ b/tools/release/auto_tag.py
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2014 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 # found in the LICENSE file.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 import sys
 
diff --git a/tools/release/common_includes.py b/tools/release/common_includes.py
index beee818495..afbcc9f837 100644
--- a/tools/release/common_includes.py
+++ b/tools/release/common_includes.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2013 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 import datetime
 from distutils.version import LooseVersion
@@ -47,14 +44,8 @@ import urllib
 from git_recipes import GitRecipesMixin
 from git_recipes import GitFailedException
 
-PYTHON3 = sys.version_info >= (3, 0)
-
-if PYTHON3:
-  import http.client as httplib
-  import urllib.request as urllib2
-else:
-  import httplib
-  import urllib2
+import http.client as httplib
+import urllib.request as urllib2
 
 
 DAY_IN_SECONDS = 24 * 60 * 60
@@ -76,10 +67,6 @@ new_path = path_to_depot_tools + os.pathsep + os.environ.get('PATH')
 os.environ['PATH'] = new_path
 
 
-def maybe_decode(obj):
-  return obj.decode('utf-8') if PYTHON3 else obj
-
-
 def TextToFile(text, file_name):
   with open(file_name, "w") as f:
     f.write(text)
@@ -116,7 +103,7 @@ def Command(cmd, args="", prefix="", pipe=True, cwd=None):
   sys.stdout.flush()
   try:
     if pipe:
-      return maybe_decode(subprocess.check_output(cmd_line, shell=True, cwd=cwd))
+      return subprocess.check_output(cmd_line, shell=True, cwd=cwd).decode('utf-8')
     else:
       return subprocess.check_call(cmd_line, shell=True, cwd=cwd)
   except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
diff --git a/tools/release/create_release.py b/tools/release/create_release.py
index 62c5ed675f..37e9e8673c 100755
--- a/tools/release/create_release.py
+++ b/tools/release/create_release.py
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2015 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 # found in the LICENSE file.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 import os
 import sys
@@ -13,12 +10,7 @@ import tempfile
 
 from common_includes import *
 
-PYTHON3 = sys.version_info >= (3, 0)
-
-if PYTHON3:
-  import urllib.request as urllib2
-else:
-  import urllib2
+import urllib.request as urllib2
 
 
 class Preparation(Step):
diff --git a/tools/release/git_recipes.py b/tools/release/git_recipes.py
index a90266aa71..865e13bf31 100644
--- a/tools/release/git_recipes.py
+++ b/tools/release/git_recipes.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2014 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
diff --git a/tools/release/merge_to_branch.py b/tools/release/merge_to_branch.py
index 08a36125f8..ca5b2ce674 100755
--- a/tools/release/merge_to_branch.py
+++ b/tools/release/merge_to_branch.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2014 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import sys
diff --git a/tools/release/roll_merge.py b/tools/release/roll_merge.py
index d25f95e397..d1abe56edd 100755
--- a/tools/release/roll_merge.py
+++ b/tools/release/roll_merge.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2014 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import sys
diff --git a/tools/release/script_test.py b/tools/release/script_test.py
index 0f345b7fa8..a0899911c6 100755
--- a/tools/release/script_test.py
+++ b/tools/release/script_test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2014 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@
 # Wraps test execution with a coverage analysis. To get the best speed, the
 # native python coverage version >= 3.7.1 should be installed.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import coverage
 import os
 import unittest
diff --git a/tools/release/test_scripts.py b/tools/release/test_scripts.py
index c2c49de8ca..10e2511bc6 100755
--- a/tools/release/test_scripts.py
+++ b/tools/release/test_scripts.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # Copyright 2013 the V8 project authors. All rights reserved.
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-# for py2/py3 compatibility
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import json
 import os
 import shutil