diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index 0429113da..66cc7056f 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def rsplit(s, sep=None, maxsplit=-1):
     return s.rsplit(sep, maxsplit)
 
 def normalizeWhitespace(s, removeNewline=True):
-    """Normalizes the whitespace in a string; \s+ becomes one space."""
+    r"""Normalizes the whitespace in a string; \s+ becomes one space."""
     if not s:
         return str(s) # not the same reference
     starts_with_space = (s[0] in ' \n\t\r')
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ def timestamp(t):
 def url(url):
     return url
 
-_formatRe = re.compile('%((?:\d+)?\.\d+f|[bfhiLnpqrsStTuv%])')
+_formatRe = re.compile(r'%((?:\d+)?\.\d+f|[bfhiLnpqrsStTuv%])')
 def format(s, *args, **kwargs):
     """w00t.
 
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index be77d1244..bf4d28c2c 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class StrTest(SupyTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(f('fooba\\rba\\z'), 'foorz')
         f = PRTR('s/cat/dog/i')
         self.assertEqual(f('CATFISH'), 'dogFISH')
-        f = PRTR('s/foo/foo\/bar/')
+        f = PRTR(r's/foo/foo\/bar/')
         self.assertEqual(f('foo'), 'foo/bar')
         f = PRTR('s/^/foo/')
         self.assertEqual(f('bar'), 'foobar')
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ class StrTest(SupyTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(f('foobarbaz'), 'barbarbaz')
 
     def testPerlReToReplacerBug850931(self):
-        f = utils.str.perlReToReplacer('s/\b(\w+)\b/\1./g')
+        f = utils.str.perlReToReplacer(r's/\b(\w+)\b/\1./g')
         self.assertEqual(f('foo bar baz'), 'foo. bar. baz.')
 
     def testCommaAndify(self):