diff --git a/memfs.py b/memfs.py
index 9146144bf..a2bb7c774 100755
--- a/memfs.py
+++ b/memfs.py
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ for directory in dirs:
 
     for dirpath, dirnames, files in os.walk(directory, followlinks=True):
 
-
-
         # Prune the walk by modifying the dirnames in-place
         dirnames[:] = [dirname for dirname in dirnames if dirname not in EXCLUDED]
         for name in files:
@@ -90,7 +88,8 @@ for directory in dirs:
             FILES[name] = fname
             SIZES[name] = os.path.getsize(full)
 
-            buffer.write("const unsigned char %s[] = {" % (name,))
+            txt = "const unsigned char %s[] = {" % (name,)
+            buffer.write(txt.encode())
 
             with open(full, "rb") as f:
                 i = 0
@@ -104,16 +103,18 @@ for directory in dirs:
                 # e.g. 23 -> 0x23
                 for n in range(0, len(contents_hex), 2):
                     twoChars = ascii(contents_hex[n : n + 2])
-                    buffer.write("0x%s," % (twoChars,))
+                    txt = "0x%s," % (twoChars,)
+                    buffer.write(txt.encode())
                     i += 1
                     if (i % 20) == 0:
-                        buffer.write("\n")
+                        buffer.write("\n".encode())
 
-            buffer.write("};\n")
+            buffer.write("};\n".encode())
             if buffer.tell() >= CHUNK:
                 buffer.close()
                 buffer = None
 
+
 if buffer is not None:
     buffer.close()
 
@@ -317,4 +318,3 @@ FILE* codes_memfs_open(const char* path) {
 print("Finished")
 
 print("MEMFS: done", time.time() - start)
-