diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/setdress.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/setdress.py
index be26572039..111d33da8c 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/setdress.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/setdress.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import os
 import contextlib
 import copy
 
+import six
 from maya import cmds
 
 from avalon import api, io
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ def load_package(filepath, name, namespace=None):
         # Define a unique namespace for the package
         namespace = os.path.basename(filepath).split(".")[0]
         unique_namespace(namespace)
-    assert isinstance(namespace, basestring)
+    assert isinstance(namespace, six.string_types)
 
     # Load the setdress package data
     with open(filepath, "r") as fp:
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_instance_subset.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_instance_subset.py
index a8c16425d6..539f3f9d3c 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_instance_subset.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/validate_instance_subset.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import pyblish.api
 import openpype.api
 import string
 
+import six
+
 # Allow only characters, numbers and underscore
 allowed = set(string.ascii_lowercase +
               string.ascii_uppercase +
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ class ValidateSubsetName(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
             raise RuntimeError("Instance is missing subset "
                                "name: {0}".format(subset))
 
-        if not isinstance(subset, basestring):
+        if not isinstance(subset, six.string_types):
             raise TypeError("Instance subset name must be string, "
                             "got: {0} ({1})".format(subset, type(subset)))