diff --git a/bin/pyplotres.py b/bin/pyplotres.py
index 238f24530..db4b1db2f 100755
--- a/bin/pyplotres.py
+++ b/bin/pyplotres.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def get_xdata(self, key):
         """Return label describing xaxis and the corresponding
             data given keyword 'key'.
         """
-        if not isinstance(key, bytes):
+        if not (isinstance(key, bytes) or isinstance(key, str)):
             raise ValueError("key must be of type string.")
         xopt = key.lower()
         if xopt == 'numtoa':
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ def get_ydata(self, key, postfit=True):
             'postfit' is a boolean argument that determines if
             postfit, or prefit data is to be returned.
         """
-        if not isinstance(key, bytes):
+        if not (isinstance(key, bytes) or isinstance(key, str)):
             raise ValueError("key must be of type string.")
         yopt = key.lower()
         if postfit:
diff --git a/lib/python/residuals.py b/lib/python/residuals.py
index f5a9cd2a4..01e9c4560 100644
--- a/lib/python/residuals.py
+++ b/lib/python/residuals.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def read_residuals(filename="resid2.tmp"):
         not (reclen==struct.calcsize(rectype))):
         print("Warning:  possibly reading residuals incorrectly... don't understand record size")
     infile.seek(0, 0) # position at file start
-    r.numTOAs = filelen / reclen
+    r.numTOAs = int(filelen / reclen)
     r.bary_TOA = Num.zeros(r.numTOAs, 'd')
     r.postfit_phs = Num.zeros(r.numTOAs, 'd')
     r.postfit_sec = Num.zeros(r.numTOAs, 'd')