diff --git a/python/py3compat.h b/python/py3compat.h
index d09947bf90d..75baa00503f 100644
--- a/python/py3compat.h
+++ b/python/py3compat.h
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@
 
 /* Strings */
 
-/* description of bytes objects */
-#define PY_DESC_PY3_BYTES "bytes"
 
 /* Module init */
 
diff --git a/source3/libsmb/pylibsmb.c b/source3/libsmb/pylibsmb.c
index 45abbec14d2..06d821ae390 100644
--- a/source3/libsmb/pylibsmb.c
+++ b/source3/libsmb/pylibsmb.c
@@ -1735,10 +1735,10 @@ static PyMethodDef py_cli_state_methods[] = {
 	  "chkpath(dir_path) -> True or False\n\n"
 	  "\t\tReturn true if directory exists, false otherwise." },
 	{ "savefile", (PyCFunction)py_smb_savefile, METH_VARARGS,
-	  "savefile(path, str) -> None\n\n"
-	  "\t\tWrite " PY_DESC_PY3_BYTES " str to file." },
+	  "savefile(path, bytes) -> None\n\n"
+	  "\t\tWrite bytes to file." },
 	{ "loadfile", (PyCFunction)py_smb_loadfile, METH_VARARGS,
-	  "loadfile(path) -> file contents as a " PY_DESC_PY3_BYTES
+	  "loadfile(path) -> file contents as a bytes object"
 	  "\n\n\t\tRead contents of a file." },
 	{ "get_sd", (PyCFunction)py_smb_get_sd, METH_VARARGS,
 	  "get_sd(fnum[, security_info=0]) -> security_descriptor object\n\n"
diff --git a/source4/dsdb/pydsdb.c b/source4/dsdb/pydsdb.c
index 95b23d8adc3..832899ef1a9 100644
--- a/source4/dsdb/pydsdb.c
+++ b/source4/dsdb/pydsdb.c
@@ -587,8 +587,7 @@ static PyObject *py_dsdb_DsReplicaAttribute(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 			PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(el_list, i);
 			if (!(PyBytes_Check(item))) {
 				PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
-					     "ldif_element type should be "
-					     PY_DESC_PY3_BYTES
+					     "ldif_element type should be bytes"
 					     );
 				talloc_free(tmp_ctx);
 				return NULL;
@@ -698,8 +697,7 @@ static PyObject *py_dsdb_normalise_attributes(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 			PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(el_list, i);
 			if (!PyBytes_Check(item)) {
 				PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
-					     "ldif_element type should be "
-					     PY_DESC_PY3_BYTES
+					     "ldif_element type should be bytes"
 					     );
 				talloc_free(tmp_ctx);
 				return NULL;