diff --git a/hbc b/hbc
index 21d13ae..ef4b1fb 100755
--- a/hbc
+++ b/hbc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # $Id: hbc,v 1.9 2012/03/29 02:08:36 andreas Exp $
 # NEW
 import sys
@@ -16,15 +16,14 @@ import shutil
 import zlib
 import subprocess
 import syslog
-
-import syslog
+import codecs
 
 
 PORT = 50003
 INTERVAL = 10
 REOPENC = 6
 PIDFILE = '/tmp/hbc.pid'
-VER = 5
+VER = 6
 MAXRECV = 32767
 
 running = True
@@ -151,8 +150,10 @@ def stodict(msg):
 			d[k] = None
 		else:
 			v = vr[1].strip()
-			if v[0].isdigit():
+			try:
 				v = eval(v)
+			except:
+				pass
 			d[k] = v
 	if verbose: print("msg is %s" % d)
 	return d
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ def doexec(conn, data):
 def doupdate(conn, msgDict):
 	fail = None
 	try:
-		code = msgDict['code'].decode('base64')
+		code = codecs.decode(msgDict['code'],'base64').decode()
 		csum = msgDict['csum']
 	except:
 		fail = "csum/code missing"
@@ -258,8 +259,8 @@ def doupdate(conn, msgDict):
 
 def doupdateone(code, csum):
 
-	m = md5.new()
-	m.update(code)
+	m = md5()
+	m.update(code.encode())
 	icsum = m.hexdigest()
 	if icsum != csum:
 		return "checksum error"
@@ -330,11 +331,11 @@ def process():
 			for rfh in r[0]:
 				conn = conIds[rfh]
 				data, addr = ifiles[rfh].recvfrom(MAXRECV)
-#				if verbose: print("sock.recvfrom: %s (%s) %s" % (addr, len(data), data[:4]))
+				if verbose: print("sock.recvfrom: %s (%s) %s" % (addr, len(data), data[:4]))
 				try:
 					msgDict = stodict(data)
 				except Exception as e:
-					print("failed to parse incoming data from %s: " % (addr, data))
+					print("failed to parse incoming data from %s: %s (%s)" % (addr, data, e))
 					continue
 				
 				if verbose: print("sock.recvfrom: %s (%s) %s" % (addr, len(data), str(msgDict)[:80]))
diff --git a/hbd b/hbd
index 8e3d5a8..192a7bc 100755
--- a/hbd
+++ b/hbd
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import queue
 from hashlib import md5
 import json
 import zlib
+import codecs
 
 from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE
 
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE
 import hbdclass
 
 
+NSUPDATE_BIN = "/usr/local/bin/nsupdate"		# override in .hbrc possible
+
 SEND_EMAIL=False
 SEND_PUSHOVER=True
 
@@ -240,7 +243,7 @@ answer
 """ % D
 
 	if DEBUG > 0: log(None, "DBG: nsup %s" % nsup)
-	cmd = ["/usr/local/bin/nsupdate", "-k", "/etc/dhcpc/K%(domain)s.+157+00000." % D, "-v"]
+	cmd = [nsupdate_bin, "-k", "/etc/dhcpc/K%(domain)s.+157+00000." % D, "-v"]
 	if DEBUG > 0: log(None, "DBG: cmd %s" % cmd)
 	try:
 		p = Popen(cmd, shell=False, bufsize=1, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT)
@@ -250,9 +253,9 @@ answer
 		return "nsupdate: some error occured"
 
 	(output, err) = p.communicate(nsup.encode())
-	if output.find('status: NOERROR') >= 0:
+	if output.decode().find('status: NOERROR') >= 0:
 		return None
-	return output
+	return output.decode()
 
 
 #
@@ -501,10 +504,11 @@ def updatecode(ucode, uname):
 	except Exception as e:
 		fail = "cannot read new code: %s" % e
 	if not fail:
-		m = md5.new()
-		m.update(new_code)
+		m = md5()
+		new_codeE = new_code.encode()
+		m.update(new_codeE)
 		icsum = m.hexdigest()
-		rmsg = {'csum': icsum, 'code': new_code.encode('base64','strict') }
+		rmsg = {'csum': icsum, 'code': codecs.encode(new_codeE, 'base64') }
 		hbdclass.Host.hosts[uname].cmds.append(('UPD',rmsg))
 	return fail
 
@@ -824,6 +828,7 @@ grace = GRACE
 watchhosts = []
 dyndnshosts = []
 drophosts = []
+nsupdate_bin = NSUPDATE_BIN
 
 try:
 	f = open(configfile, "r")
@@ -872,6 +877,8 @@ if f:
 			dyndnshosts = a
 		elif o == 'drophosts':
 			drophosts = a
+		elif o == 'nsupdate_bin':
+			nsupdate_bin = a
 	f.close()
 
 if len(args) != 0: