diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 4acb0bb2..545705e2 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Version 2.2.1 (2012-10-23 11:13:22) stable
+Version 2.2.1 (2012-10-23 11:29:56) stable
diff --git a/gluon/dal.py b/gluon/dal.py
index 9e8a7b42..fafe0727 100644
--- a/gluon/dal.py
+++ b/gluon/dal.py
@@ -170,16 +170,20 @@ import glob
 import traceback
 import platform
 
-python_version = sys.version_info[0]
-if python_version == 2:
+PYTHON_VERSION = sys.version_info[0]
+if PYTHON_VERSION == 2:
     import cPickle as pickle
     import cStringIO as StringIO
     import copy_reg as copyreg
+    hashlib_md5 = hashlib.md5
+    bytes, unicode = str, unicode
 else:
     import pickle
     from io import StringIO as StringIO    
     import copyreg
     long = int
+    hashlib_md5 = lambda s: hashlib.md5(bytes(s,'utf8'))
+    bytes, unicode = bytes, str
 
 CALLABLETYPES = (types.LambdaType, types.FunctionType,
                  types.BuiltinFunctionType,
@@ -1592,7 +1596,7 @@ class BaseAdapter(ConnectionPool):
         else:
             (cache_model, time_expire) = cache
             key = self.uri + '/' + sql + '/rows'
-            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib.md5(key).hexdigest()
+            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib_md5(key).hexdigest()
             def _select_aux2():
                 self.execute(sql)
                 return self._fetchall()
@@ -1615,7 +1619,7 @@ class BaseAdapter(ConnectionPool):
             del attributes['cache']
             (cache_model, time_expire) = cache
             key = self.uri + '/' + sql
-            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib.md5(key).hexdigest()
+            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib_md5(key).hexdigest()
             args = (sql,fields,attributes)
             return cache_model(
                 key,
@@ -1769,8 +1773,8 @@ class BaseAdapter(ConnectionPool):
                 obj = obj.isoformat()[:10]
             else:
                 obj = str(obj)
-        if not isinstance(obj,str):
-            obj = str(obj)
+        if not isinstance(obj,bytes):
+            obj = bytes(obj)
         try:
             obj.decode(self.db_codec)
         except:
@@ -2097,8 +2101,11 @@ class SQLiteAdapter(BaseAdapter):
         else:
             dbpath = uri.split('://',1)[1]
             if dbpath[0] != '/':
-                dbpath = pjoin(
-                    self.folder.decode(path_encoding).encode('utf8'), dbpath)
+                if PYTHON_VERSION == 2:
+                    dbpath = pjoin(
+                        self.folder.decode(path_encoding).encode('utf8'), dbpath)
+                else:
+                    dbpath = pjoin(self.folder, dbpath)                        
         if not 'check_same_thread' in driver_args:
             driver_args['check_same_thread'] = False
         if not 'detect_types' in driver_args:
@@ -6633,7 +6640,7 @@ class DAL(object):
                 db = super(DAL, cls).__new__(cls)
                 THREAD_LOCAL.db_instances_zombie[db_uid] = db
         else:
-            db_uid = kwargs.get('db_uid',hashlib.md5(repr(uri)).hexdigest())
+            db_uid = kwargs.get('db_uid',hashlib_md5(repr(uri)).hexdigest())
             if db_uid in THREAD_LOCAL.db_instances_zombie:
                 db = THREAD_LOCAL.db_instances_zombie[db_uid]
                 del THREAD_LOCAL.db_instances_zombie[db_uid]
@@ -6798,7 +6805,7 @@ class DAL(object):
                                         db_codec=db_codec)
             migrate = fake_migrate = False
         adapter = self._adapter
-        self._uri_hash = hashlib.md5(adapter.uri).hexdigest()
+        self._uri_hash = hashlib_md5(adapter.uri).hexdigest()
         self._tables = SQLCallableList()
         self.check_reserved = check_reserved
         if self.check_reserved:
@@ -8792,7 +8799,7 @@ class Set(object):
             cache_model, time_expire = cache
             sql = self._count(distinct=distinct)
             key = db._uri + '/' + sql
-            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib.md5(key).hexdigest()
+            if len(key)>200: key = hashlib_md5(key).hexdigest()
             return cache_model(
                 key,
                 (lambda self=self,distinct=distinct: \
diff --git a/gluon/tests/test_dal.py b/gluon/tests/test_dal.py
index b639c5e7..d92ac0e6 100644
--- a/gluon/tests/test_dal.py
+++ b/gluon/tests/test_dal.py
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ else:
 
 import unittest
 import datetime
-import cStringIO
+try:
+    import cStringIO as StringIO
+except:
+    from io import StringIO
 from dal import DAL, Field, Table, SQLALL
 
 ALLOWED_DATATYPES = [
@@ -555,11 +558,11 @@ class TestImportExportFields(unittest.TestCase):
                 id = db.person.insert(name=str(k))
                 db.pet.insert(friend=id,name=str(k))
         db.commit()
-        stream = cStringIO.StringIO()
+        stream = StringIO.StringIO()
         db.export_to_csv_file(stream)
         db(db.pet).delete()
         db(db.person).delete()
-        stream = cStringIO.StringIO(stream.getvalue())
+        stream = StringIO.StringIO(stream.getvalue())
         db.import_from_csv_file(stream)
         assert db(db.person.id==db.pet.friend)(db.person.name==db.pet.name).count()==10
         db.pet.drop()
@@ -579,9 +582,9 @@ class TestImportExportUuidFields(unittest.TestCase):
                 id = db.person.insert(name=str(k),uuid=str(k))
                 db.pet.insert(friend=id,name=str(k))
         db.commit()
-        stream = cStringIO.StringIO()
+        stream = StringIO.StringIO()
         db.export_to_csv_file(stream)
-        stream = cStringIO.StringIO(stream.getvalue())
+        stream = StringIO.StringIO(stream.getvalue())
         db.import_from_csv_file(stream)
         assert db(db.person).count()==10
         assert db(db.person.id==db.pet.friend)(db.person.name==db.pet.name).count()==20
diff --git a/gluon/utils.py b/gluon/utils.py
index 10fb2457..04bcb649 100644
--- a/gluon/utils.py
+++ b/gluon/utils.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     try:
         from .aes import AES
-    except ImportError:
+    except (ImportError, ValueError):
         from contrib.aes import AES
 
 try: