diff --git a/git-p4.py b/git-p4.py
index 37777bb9fd..2f177fb43b 100755
--- a/git-p4.py
+++ b/git-p4.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def p4_build_cmd(cmd):
         # Provide a way to not pass this option by setting git-p4.retries to 0
         real_cmd += ["-r", str(retries)]
 
-    if isinstance(cmd,basestring):
+    if not isinstance(cmd, list):
         real_cmd = ' '.join(real_cmd) + ' ' + cmd
     else:
         real_cmd += cmd
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def write_pipe(c, stdin):
     if verbose:
         sys.stderr.write('Writing pipe: %s\n' % str(c))
 
-    expand = isinstance(c,basestring)
+    expand = not isinstance(c, list)
     p = subprocess.Popen(c, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, shell=expand)
     pipe = p.stdin
     val = pipe.write(stdin)
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def read_pipe_full(c):
     if verbose:
         sys.stderr.write('Reading pipe: %s\n' % str(c))
 
-    expand = isinstance(c,basestring)
+    expand = not isinstance(c, list)
     p = subprocess.Popen(c, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=expand)
     (out, err) = p.communicate()
     return (p.returncode, out, err)
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ def read_pipe_lines(c):
     if verbose:
         sys.stderr.write('Reading pipe: %s\n' % str(c))
 
-    expand = isinstance(c, basestring)
+    expand = not isinstance(c, list)
     p = subprocess.Popen(c, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, shell=expand)
     pipe = p.stdout
     val = pipe.readlines()
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def p4_has_move_command():
     return True
 
 def system(cmd, ignore_error=False):
-    expand = isinstance(cmd,basestring)
+    expand = not isinstance(cmd, list)
     if verbose:
         sys.stderr.write("executing %s\n" % str(cmd))
     retcode = subprocess.call(cmd, shell=expand)
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def system(cmd, ignore_error=False):
 def p4_system(cmd):
     """Specifically invoke p4 as the system command. """
     real_cmd = p4_build_cmd(cmd)
-    expand = isinstance(real_cmd, basestring)
+    expand = not isinstance(real_cmd, list)
     retcode = subprocess.call(real_cmd, shell=expand)
     if retcode:
         raise CalledProcessError(retcode, real_cmd)
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ def getP4OpenedType(file):
 # Return the set of all p4 labels
 def getP4Labels(depotPaths):
     labels = set()
-    if isinstance(depotPaths,basestring):
+    if not isinstance(depotPaths, list):
         depotPaths = [depotPaths]
 
     for l in p4CmdList(["labels"] + ["%s..." % p for p in depotPaths]):
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ def isModeExecChanged(src_mode, dst_mode):
 def p4CmdList(cmd, stdin=None, stdin_mode='w+b', cb=None, skip_info=False,
         errors_as_exceptions=False):
 
-    if isinstance(cmd,basestring):
+    if not isinstance(cmd, list):
         cmd = "-G " + cmd
         expand = True
     else:
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ def p4CmdList(cmd, stdin=None, stdin_mode='w+b', cb=None, skip_info=False,
     stdin_file = None
     if stdin is not None:
         stdin_file = tempfile.TemporaryFile(prefix='p4-stdin', mode=stdin_mode)
-        if isinstance(stdin,basestring):
+        if not isinstance(stdin, list):
             stdin_file.write(stdin)
         else:
             for i in stdin: