diff --git a/scripts/lib/CIME/SystemTests/system_tests_common.py b/scripts/lib/CIME/SystemTests/system_tests_common.py
index 7f849c06c7b..c8846c29215 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/CIME/SystemTests/system_tests_common.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/CIME/SystemTests/system_tests_common.py
@@ -88,16 +88,18 @@ def build(self, sharedlib_only=False, model_only=False):
                 try:
                     self.build_phase(sharedlib_only=(phase_name==SHAREDLIB_BUILD_PHASE),
                                      model_only=(phase_name==MODEL_BUILD_PHASE))
-                except:
+                except BaseException as e:
                     success = False
-                    msg = sys.exc_info()[1].message
-
+                    try:
+                        msg = e.message
+                    except:
+                        msg = str(e)
                     if "BUILD FAIL" in msg:
                         # Don't want to print stacktrace for a model failure since that
                         # is not a CIME/infrastructure problem.
                         excmsg = msg
                     else:
-                        excmsg = "Exception during build:\n{}\n{}".format(sys.exc_info()[1], traceback.format_exc())
+                        excmsg = "Exception during build:\n{}\n{}".format(msg, traceback.format_exc())
 
                     logger.warning(excmsg)
                     append_testlog(excmsg)
@@ -155,9 +157,12 @@ def run(self):
 
             self._check_for_memleak()
 
-        except BaseException as msg:
+        except BaseException as e:
             success = False
-            msg = str(msg)
+            try:
+                msg = e.message
+            except:
+                msg = str(e)
             if "RUN FAIL" in msg:
                 # Don't want to print stacktrace for a model failure since that
                 # is not a CIME/infrastructure problem.
@@ -242,8 +247,12 @@ def _coupler_log_indicates_run_complete(self):
             try:
                 if six.b("SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION") in gzip.open(cpllog, 'rb').read():
                     allgood = allgood - 1
-            except BaseException as msg:
-
+            except BaseException as e:
+                try:
+                    msg = e.message
+                except:
+                    msg = str(e)
+                    
                 logger.info("{} is not compressed, assuming run failed {}".format(cpllog, msg))
 
         return allgood==0
diff --git a/scripts/lib/CIME/XML/env_base.py b/scripts/lib/CIME/XML/env_base.py
index e5fa2e33830..3acfb36a3cd 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/CIME/XML/env_base.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/CIME/XML/env_base.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """
 Base class for env files.  This class inherits from EntryID.py
 """
-import string
 from CIME.XML.standard_module_setup import *
 from CIME.XML.entry_id import EntryID
 from CIME.XML.headers import Headers
diff --git a/scripts/lib/CIME/buildlib.py b/scripts/lib/CIME/buildlib.py
index a2f97fc6a93..551f6325d75 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/CIME/buildlib.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/CIME/buildlib.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 from CIME.case import Case
 from CIME.utils import parse_args_and_handle_standard_logging_options, setup_standard_logging_options
 import sys, os, argparse, doctest
-import six
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 ###############################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py b/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
index de746573829..760a18774b7 100755
--- a/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
@@ -2434,8 +2434,8 @@ def _main_func():
 
     try:
         unittest.main(verbosity=2, catchbreak=True)
-    except SystemExit as had_fails:
-        if had_fails:
+    except SystemExit as e:
+        if e.__str__() != "False":
             print("Detected failures, leaving directory:", TEST_ROOT)
         else:
             print("All pass, removing directory:", TEST_ROOT)