diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 818d93bdbe..b49af6a7a2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ youtube-dl.bash-completion: youtube_dl/*.py devscripts/bash-completion.in
 	python devscripts/bash-completion.py
 
 youtube-dl.tar.gz: all
-	tar -czf youtube-dl.tar.gz -s "|^./|./youtube-dl/|" \
+	tar -czf youtube-dl.tar.gz -s "|^./|./youtube-dl/|" --exclude="updates_key.pem" \
 		--exclude="*.pyc" --exclude="*.pyo" --exclude="*~" --exclude="youtube-dl.exe" \
 		--exclude="wine-py2exe/" --exclude="py2exe.log" --exclude="*.kate-swp" \
 		--exclude="build/" --exclude="dist/" --exclude="MANIFEST" --exclude=".git/" .
diff --git a/youtube_dl/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
index 092ff268cf..4eb4101d2d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import warnings
 import platform
 
 from .utils import *
-from .version import __version__, __version_codename__
+from .version import __version__
 from .FileDownloader import *
 from .InfoExtractors import *
 from .PostProcessor import *
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, filename):
     try:
         newversion = compat_urllib_request.urlopen(VERSION_URL).read().decode('utf-8').strip()
     except:
-        if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+        if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen(u'ERROR: can\'t find the current version. Please try again later.')
         return
     if newversion == __version__:
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, filename):
         versions_info = compat_urllib_request.urlopen(JSON_URL).read().decode('utf-8')
         versions_info = json.loads(versions_info)
     except:
-        if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+        if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen(u'ERROR: can\'t obtain versions info. Please try again later.')
         return
     if not 'signature' in versions_info:
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, filename):
             newcontent = urlh.read()
             urlh.close()
         except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-            if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+            if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen(u'ERROR: unable to download latest version')
             return
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, filename):
             with open(exe + '.new', 'wb') as outf:
                 outf.write(newcontent)
         except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-            if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+            if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen(u'ERROR: unable to write the new version')
             return
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ del "%s"
 
             os.startfile(bat)
         except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-            if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+            if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen(u'ERROR: unable to overwrite current version')
             return
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ del "%s"
             newcontent = urlh.read()
             urlh.close()
         except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-            if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+            if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen(u'ERROR: unable to download latest version')
             return
 
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ del "%s"
             with open(filename, 'wb') as outf:
                 outf.write(newcontent)
         except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-            if verbose: to_screen(traceback.format_exc().decode())
+            if verbose: to_screen(enforce_unicode(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen(u'ERROR: unable to overwrite current version')
             return
 
@@ -603,9 +603,10 @@ def _real_main():
         })
 
     if opts.verbose:
-        fd.to_screen(u'[debug] youtube-dl version %s - %s' %(__version__, __version_codename__))
+        fd.to_screen(u'[debug] youtube-dl version ' + __version__)
         try:
-            sp = subprocess.Popen(['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+            sp = subprocess.Popen(['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                                  cwd=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
             out, err = sp.communicate()
             out = out.decode().strip()
             if re.match('[0-9a-f]+', out):
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 7d60419295..9784abb240 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ std_headers = {
     'Accept-Encoding': 'gzip, deflate',
     'Accept-Language': 'en-us,en;q=0.5',
 }
+
 def preferredencoding():
     """Get preferred encoding.
 
@@ -187,6 +188,11 @@ else:
         with open(fn, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
             json.dump(obj, f)
 
+# Some library functions return bytestring on 2.X and unicode on 3.X
+def enforce_unicode(s, encoding='utf-8'):
+    if type(s) != type(u''):
+        return s.decode(encoding)
+    return s
 
 def htmlentity_transform(matchobj):
     """Transforms an HTML entity to a character.
diff --git a/youtube_dl/version.py b/youtube_dl/version.py
index 461a6785d4..d5986f5e64 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/version.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 
 __version__ = '2012.12.11'
-__version_codename__ = ''