diff --git a/src/datatypes.cpp b/src/datatypes.cpp
index 1a8d126..e8b08a1 100644
--- a/src/datatypes.cpp
+++ b/src/datatypes.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "includefirst.hpp"
 
 #if defined(USE_PYTHON) || defined(PYTHON_MODULE)
+#include <patchlevel.h>
 #include <numpy/arrayobject.h>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/gdlpython.cpp b/src/gdlpython.cpp
index 7835ec9..dd17598 100644
--- a/src/gdlpython.cpp
+++ b/src/gdlpython.cpp
@@ -32,18 +32,32 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+int PythonInit()
+{
+  if( Py_IsInitialized()) return NULL;
+#else
 void PythonInit()
 {
   if( Py_IsInitialized()) return;
+#endif
   Py_Initialize(); // signal handlers?
   
   static int argc = 1;
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  static wchar_t* arg0 = Py_DecodeLocale("./py/python.exe",NULL);
+  static wchar_t* argv[] = {arg0};
+#else
   static char* arg0 = (char*)"./py/python.exe";
   static char* argv[] = {arg0};
+#endif
   PySys_SetArgv(argc, argv);
 
   // http://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/c-api.array.html#miscellaneous
   import_array();
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  return NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
 void PythonEnd()
@@ -71,6 +85,12 @@ BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj)
 {
   if( !PyArray_Check( pyObj))
     {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+      if( PyUnicode_Check( pyObj))
+	{
+	  return new DStringGDL( PyUnicode_AsUTF8( pyObj));
+	}
+#else
       if( PyString_Check( pyObj))
 	{
 	  return new DStringGDL( PyString_AsString( pyObj));
@@ -79,6 +99,7 @@ BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj)
 	{
 	  return new DLongGDL( PyInt_AsLong( pyObj));
 	}
+#endif
       if( PyLong_Check( pyObj))
 	{
 	  return new DLongGDL( PyLong_AsLong( pyObj));
@@ -174,11 +195,19 @@ namespace lib {
 	  e->Throw( "ARGV keyword must be of type STRING.");
 	
 	int argc = argvS->N_Elements();
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	wchar_t** argv = new wchar_t*[ argc];
+#else
 	char** argv = new char*[ argc];
+#endif
 
-	// pyhton copies the value -> threats it as const
+	// python copies the value -> treats it as const
 	for( int i=0; i<argc; ++i)
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  argv[i] = Py_DecodeLocale(const_cast<char*>((*argvS)[ i].c_str()), NULL); 
+#else
 	  argv[i] = const_cast<char*>((*argvS)[ i].c_str()); 
+#endif
 
 	PySys_SetArgv(argc, argv);
 	delete[] argv;
diff --git a/src/gdlpython.hpp b/src/gdlpython.hpp
index 45ef436..cb53bd7 100644
--- a/src/gdlpython.hpp
+++ b/src/gdlpython.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
 #ifndef GDLPYTHON_HPP_
 #define GDLPYTHON_HPP_
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+int PythonInit();
+#else
 void PythonInit();
+#endif
 void PythonEnd();
 BaseGDL* FromPython( PyObject* pyObj);
 
diff --git a/src/pythongdl.cpp b/src/pythongdl.cpp
index a3b5afd..e541ba5 100644
--- a/src/pythongdl.cpp
+++ b/src/pythongdl.cpp
@@ -191,14 +191,22 @@ bool CopyArgFromPython( vector<BaseGDL*>& parRef,
       for( SizeT k=0; k<nKW; ++k)
 	{
 	  PyDict_Next( kwDict, &dictPos, &key, &value);
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  int keyIsString =  PyUnicode_Check( key);
+#else
 	  int keyIsString =  PyString_Check( key);
+#endif
 	  if( !keyIsString)
 	    {
 	      PyErr_SetString( gdlError, 
 			       "Keywords must be of type string");
 	      return false;
 	    }
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+	  const char* keyChar = PyUnicode_AsUTF8( key);
+#else
 	  const char* keyChar = PyString_AsString( key);
+#endif
 	  string keyString = StrUpCase( keyChar);
 	  int kwIx = e.GetPro()->FindKey( keyString);
 	  if( kwIx == -1) 
@@ -523,6 +531,35 @@ extern "C" {
     {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}        // Sentinel
   };
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+  struct module_state {
+    PyObject *error;
+  };
+
+  #define GETSTATE(m) ((struct module_state*)PyModule_GetState(m))
+
+  static int GDL_traverse(PyObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg) {
+    Py_VISIT(GETSTATE(m)->error);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  static int GDL_clear(PyObject *m) {
+    Py_CLEAR(GETSTATE(m)->error);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  static struct PyModuleDef moduledef = {
+    PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
+    "GDL",
+    NULL,
+    sizeof(struct module_state),
+    GDLMethods,
+    NULL,
+    GDL_traverse,
+    GDL_clear,
+    NULL
+  };
+#endif
 
   // python GDL module init function
   PyMODINIT_FUNC initGDL()
@@ -552,7 +589,11 @@ extern "C" {
       }
     SysVar::SetGDLPath( gdlPath);
     
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    PyObject* m = PyModule_Create(&moduledef);
+#else
     PyObject* m = Py_InitModule("GDL", GDLMethods);
+#endif
 
     gdlError = PyErr_NewException((char*)"GDL.error", NULL, NULL);
     Py_INCREF(gdlError);