diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
index 7d9d3121..1fd8bff0 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from pymysql.constants.COMMAND import COM_BINLOG_DUMP, COM_REGISTER_SLAVE
 from pymysql.cursors import DictCursor
-from pymysql.util import int2byte
+from six import int2byte
 
 from .packet import BinLogPacketWrapper
 from .constants.BINLOG import TABLE_MAP_EVENT, ROTATE_EVENT
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 MYSQL_EXPECTED_ERROR_CODES = [2013, 2006]
 
 
+loose_version = LooseVersion("0.6")
+
+
 class ReportSlave(object):
 
     """Represent the values that you may report when connecting as a slave
@@ -260,7 +263,7 @@ def _register_slave(self):
 
         packet = self.report_slave.encoded(self.__server_id)
 
-        if pymysql.__version__ < LooseVersion("0.6"):
+        if pymysql.__version__ < loose_version:
             self._stream_connection.wfile.write(packet)
             self._stream_connection.wfile.flush()
             self._stream_connection.read_packet()
@@ -408,7 +411,7 @@ def __connect_to_stream(self):
             # encoded_data
             prelude += gtid_set.encoded()
 
-        if pymysql.__version__ < LooseVersion("0.6"):
+        if pymysql.__version__ < loose_version:
             self._stream_connection.wfile.write(prelude)
             self._stream_connection.wfile.flush()
         else:
@@ -425,7 +428,7 @@ def fetchone(self):
                 self.__connect_to_ctl()
 
             try:
-                if pymysql.__version__ < LooseVersion("0.6"):
+                if pymysql.__version__ < loose_version:
                     pkt = self._stream_connection.read_packet()
                 else:
                     pkt = self._stream_connection._read_packet()
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/event.py b/pymysqlreplication/event.py
index 97ff5817..971320a0 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/event.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/event.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import struct
 import datetime
 
-from pymysql.util import byte2int, int2byte
+from six import byte2int, int2byte
 
 
 class BinLogEvent(object):
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/packet.py b/pymysqlreplication/packet.py
index f1680abc..1cbd6620 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/packet.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/packet.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import struct
 
-from pymysql.util import byte2int
+from six import byte2int
 
 from pymysqlreplication import constants, event, row_event
 
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
index 15329b7f..02ab3800 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
 import struct
 import decimal
 import datetime
-import json
+# import json
 
-from pymysql.util import byte2int
+from six import byte2int
 from pymysql.charset import charset_by_name
 
 from .event import BinLogEvent
@@ -531,6 +532,12 @@ def _dump(self):
                                       row["after_values"][key]))
 
 
+
+_need_byte2int = False
+if sys.version.startswith('2') or sys.version.startswith('3.4'):
+    _need_byte2int = True
+
+
 class TableMapEvent(BinLogEvent):
     """This event describes the structure of a table.
     It's sent before a change happens on a table.
@@ -594,6 +601,9 @@ def __init__(self, from_packet, event_size, table_map, ctl_connection, **kwargs)
             self.packet.read_length_coded_binary()
             for i in range(0, len(column_types)):
                 column_type = column_types[i]
+                if _need_byte2int:
+                    column_type = byte2int(column_types[i])
+
                 try:
                     column_schema = self.column_schemas[ordinal_pos_loc]
 
@@ -617,7 +627,7 @@ def __init__(self, from_packet, event_size, table_map, ctl_connection, **kwargs)
                         'COLUMN_TYPE': 'BLOB',  # we don't know what it is, so let's not do anything with it.
                         'COLUMN_KEY': '',
                     }
-                col = Column(byte2int(column_type), column_schema, from_packet)
+                col = Column(column_type, column_schema, from_packet)
                 self.columns.append(col)
 
         self.table_obj = Table(self.column_schemas, self.table_id, self.schema,
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/tests/binlogfilereader.py b/pymysqlreplication/tests/binlogfilereader.py
index c0a111c0..d127f604 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/tests/binlogfilereader.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/tests/binlogfilereader.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 '''Read binlog files'''
 import struct
 
-from pymysql.util import byte2int
+from six import byte2int
 from pymysqlreplication import constants
 from pymysqlreplication.event import FormatDescriptionEvent
 from pymysqlreplication.event import QueryEvent
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/tests/test_data_type.py b/pymysqlreplication/tests/test_data_type.py
index 21351114..d8d07265 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/tests/test_data_type.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/tests/test_data_type.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 else:
     import unittest
 
+import json
 from decimal import Decimal
 
 from pymysqlreplication.tests import base