diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5336a3c..419fb42 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Authors:
 """
 
 VERSIONFILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "scour", "__init__.py")
-verstrline = open(VERSIONFILE, "rt").read()
+verstrline = open(VERSIONFILE).read()
 VSRE = r"^__version__ = u['\"]([^'\"]*)['\"]"
 mo = re.search(VSRE, verstrline, re.M)
 if mo:
diff --git a/test_scour.py b/test_scour.py
index 44db11f..f5217b1 100755
--- a/test_scour.py
+++ b/test_scour.py
@@ -2736,7 +2736,7 @@ class EmbedRasters(unittest.TestCase):
                             "Raster image from local path '" + href + "' not embedded.")
 
     def test_raster_paths_local_absolute(self):
-        with open('unittests/raster-formats.svg', 'r') as f:
+        with open('unittests/raster-formats.svg') as f:
             svg = f.read()
 
         # create a reference string by scouring the original file with relative links