diff --git a/MySQLdb/connections.py b/MySQLdb/connections.py
index 908706a..13e55c4 100644
--- a/MySQLdb/connections.py
+++ b/MySQLdb/connections.py
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ def defaulterrorhandler(connection, cursor, errorclass, errorvalue):
         connection.messages.append(error)
     del cursor
     del connection
-    raise errorclass, errorvalue
+    if errorclass is not None:    
+        raise errorclass(errorvalue)
+    else:
+        raise Exception(errorvalue)
+
 
 re_numeric_part = re.compile(r"^(\d+)")
 
diff --git a/MySQLdb/cursors.py b/MySQLdb/cursors.py
index 348a586..b45ddaf 100644
--- a/MySQLdb/cursors.py
+++ b/MySQLdb/cursors.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ class BaseCursor(object):
         try:
             r = None
             r = self._query(query)
-        except TypeError, m:
+        except TypeError as m:
             if m.args[0] in ("not enough arguments for format string",
                              "not all arguments converted"):
                 self.messages.append((ProgrammingError, m.args[0]))
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class BaseCursor(object):
                                        for key, item in a.iteritems()))
                 else:
                     q.append(qv % tuple([db.literal(item) for item in a]))
-        except TypeError, msg:
+        except TypeError as msg:
             if msg.args[0] in ("not enough arguments for format string",
                                "not all arguments converted"):
                 self.errorhandler(self, ProgrammingError, msg.args[0])
diff --git a/setup_posix.py b/setup_posix.py
index cfcf33c..dc9b90b 100644
--- a/setup_posix.py
+++ b/setup_posix.py
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import os, sys
-from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
+try:
+    from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
+except ImportError:
+    # Probably running Python 3.x
+    from configparser import ConfigParser as SafeConfigParser
 
 # This dequote() business is required for some older versions
 # of mysql_config
diff --git a/tests/test_MySQLdb_capabilities.py b/tests/test_MySQLdb_capabilities.py
index ead6982..31e5f6f 100644
--- a/tests/test_MySQLdb_capabilities.py
+++ b/tests/test_MySQLdb_capabilities.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class test_MySQLdb(capabilities.DatabaseTest):
         from MySQLdb.constants import ER
         try:
             self.cursor.execute("describe some_non_existent_table");
-        except self.connection.ProgrammingError, msg:
+        except self.connection.ProgrammingError as msg:
             self.assertEquals(msg[0], ER.NO_SUCH_TABLE)
 
     def test_bug_3514287(self):