diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f6c59617dc3d9d2a3a989a11c92daad56f199581..55c0e208c76a5e7206f2a04b52aa00b034288f9c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ setup(
       'License :: OSI Approved :: GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3)',
       'Natural Language :: English',
       'Programming Language :: Python',
+      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
       'Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial Intelligence',
       'Topic :: Database :: Front-Ends',
       ],
diff --git a/xbob/db/mnist/query.py b/xbob/db/mnist/query.py
index 494c6aa54217c27e0f6a066977db9491c3617b77..f29430d41232347b0106acaffcc7d65e35ca2b70 100644
--- a/xbob/db/mnist/query.py
+++ b/xbob/db/mnist/query.py
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ class Database():
     try:
       if self.m_tmp_dir: 
         shutil.rmtree(self.m_tmp_dir) # delete directory
-    except OSError, e:
+    except OSError as e:
       if e.errno != 2: # code 2 - no such file or directory
-        raise 'xbob.db.mnist: Error while erasing temporarily downloaded data files'
+        raise("xbob.db.mnist: Error while erasing temporarily downloaded data files")
 
   def __db_is_installed__(self):
     from pkg_resources import resource_filename
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class Database():
     # perform the checks
     for parameter in parameters:
       if parameter not in valid_parameters:
-        raise ValueError, "Invalid %s '%s'. Valid values are %s, or lists/tuples of those" % (parameter_description, parameter, valid_parameters)
+        raise ValueError("Invalid %s '%s'. Valid values are %s, or lists/tuples of those" % (parameter_description, parameter, valid_parameters))
 
     # check passed, now return the list/tuple of parameters
     return parameters