diff --git a/swift/account/backend.py b/swift/account/backend.py
index 4726a0bd1f..31f6470b99 100644
--- a/swift/account/backend.py
+++ b/swift/account/backend.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class AccountBroker(DatabaseBroker):
         :param bytes_used: number of bytes used by the container
         :param storage_policy_index:  the storage policy for this container
         """
-        if delete_timestamp > put_timestamp and \
+        if Timestamp(delete_timestamp) > Timestamp(put_timestamp) and \
                 object_count in (None, '', 0, '0'):
             deleted = 1
         else:
@@ -501,12 +501,14 @@ class AccountBroker(DatabaseBroker):
                     for i in range(5):
                         if record[i] is None and row[i] is not None:
                             record[i] = row[i]
-                    if row[1] > record[1]:  # Keep newest put_timestamp
+                    if Timestamp(row[1]) > \
+                       Timestamp(record[1]):  # Keep newest put_timestamp
                         record[1] = row[1]
-                    if row[2] > record[2]:  # Keep newest delete_timestamp
+                    if Timestamp(row[2]) > \
+                       Timestamp(record[2]):  # Keep newest delete_timestamp
                         record[2] = row[2]
                     # If deleted, mark as such
-                    if record[2] > record[1] and \
+                    if Timestamp(record[2]) > Timestamp(record[1]) and \
                             record[3] in (None, '', 0, '0'):
                         record[5] = 1
                     else:
diff --git a/swift/common/middleware/acl.py b/swift/common/middleware/acl.py
index c3f70729d3..c23e89284c 100644
--- a/swift/common/middleware/acl.py
+++ b/swift/common/middleware/acl.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def format_acl_v1(groups=None, referrers=None, header_name=None):
 
 
 def format_acl_v2(acl_dict):
-    """
+    r"""
     Returns a version-2 Swift ACL JSON string.
 
     HTTP headers for Version 2 ACLs have the following form:
diff --git a/test/unit/account/test_backend.py b/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
index 28d649987c..e9a5c51752 100644
--- a/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
+++ b/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import itertools
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 import random
 import mock
+import base64
 
 from swift.account.backend import AccountBroker
 from swift.common.utils import Timestamp
@@ -801,13 +802,13 @@ class TestAccountBroker(unittest.TestCase):
         broker = AccountBroker(broker_path, account='real')
         broker.initialize(Timestamp(1).internal)
         with open(broker.pending_file, 'a+b') as pending:
-            pending.write(':')
-            pending.write(pickle.dumps(
+            pending.write(b':')
+            pending.write(base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps(
                 # name, put_timestamp, delete_timestamp, object_count,
                 # bytes_used, deleted
                 ('oldcon', Timestamp(200).internal,
                  Timestamp(0).internal,
-                 896, 9216695, 0)).encode('base64'))
+                 896, 9216695, 0))))
 
         broker._commit_puts()
         with broker.get() as conn:
@@ -830,13 +831,13 @@ class TestAccountBroker(unittest.TestCase):
                                stale_reads_ok=True)
         broker.initialize(Timestamp(1).internal)
         with open(broker.pending_file, 'a+b') as pending:
-            pending.write(':')
-            pending.write(pickle.dumps(
+            pending.write(b':')
+            pending.write(base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps(
                 # name, put_timestamp, delete_timestamp, object_count,
                 # bytes_used, deleted
                 ('oldcon', Timestamp(200).internal,
                  Timestamp(0).internal,
-                 896, 9216695, 0)).encode('base64'))
+                 896, 9216695, 0))))
 
         broker._commit_puts = mock_commit_puts
         broker.get_info()
@@ -852,13 +853,13 @@ class TestAccountBroker(unittest.TestCase):
                                stale_reads_ok=False)
         broker.initialize(Timestamp(1).internal)
         with open(broker.pending_file, 'a+b') as pending:
-            pending.write(':')
-            pending.write(pickle.dumps(
+            pending.write(b':')
+            pending.write(base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps(
                 # name, put_timestamp, delete_timestamp, object_count,
                 # bytes_used, deleted
                 ('oldcon', Timestamp(200).internal,
                  Timestamp(0).internal,
-                 896, 9216695, 0)).encode('base64'))
+                 896, 9216695, 0))))
 
         broker._commit_puts = mock_commit_puts