diff --git a/docs/release_notes/pending_release.rst b/docs/release_notes/pending_release.rst
index 390e89b16..4b56709b3 100644
--- a/docs/release_notes/pending_release.rst
+++ b/docs/release_notes/pending_release.rst
@@ -9,3 +9,10 @@ Updates / New Features
 Fixes
 -----
 
+Representation
+
+- ``KeyValueStore``
+
+  - PostgreSQL
+
+    - Fix python<->SQL bytea conversion functions for python 2/3 compatibility.
diff --git a/python/smqtk/representation/key_value/postgres.py b/python/smqtk/representation/key_value/postgres.py
index 4c8ea2e1c..452f40904 100644
--- a/python/smqtk/representation/key_value/postgres.py
+++ b/python/smqtk/representation/key_value/postgres.py
@@ -22,8 +22,15 @@
 class PostgresKeyValueStore (KeyValueStore):
     """
     PostgreSQL-backed key-value storage.
+
+    NOTE: Due to the differences in pickle serialization between python
+    versions 2 and 3 (even with the same protocol version) the same underlying
+    postgresql table should not be shared between instances of
+    ``PostgresKeyValueStore`` in different python major versions.
     """
 
+    PICKLE_PROTOCOL_VER = -1
+
     class SqlTemplates (object):
         """
         Container for static PostgreSQL queries used by the containing class.
@@ -198,16 +205,22 @@ def _py_to_bin(k):
         :rtype: psycopg2.Binary
 
         """
-        return psycopg2.Binary(pickle.dumps(k))
+        return psycopg2.Binary(pickle.dumps(
+            k, protocol=PostgresKeyValueStore.PICKLE_PROTOCOL_VER
+        ))
 
     @staticmethod
     def _bin_to_py(b):
         """
-        Un-"translate" psycopg2.Binary value (buffer) to a python type.
+        Un-"translate" binary return from a psycopg2 query (buffer) to a python
+        object instance.
 
-        :param b: ``psycopg2.Binary`` buffer instance as retrieved from a
-            PostgreSQL query.
-        :type b: psycopg2.Binary
+        :param b: Buffer instance as retrieved from a PostgreSQL query.  This
+            may be either a ``buffer`` instead (python 2.x) or a ``memoryview``
+            instance (python 3.x).  Generally, the type passed here should be
+            passable to the ``bytes`` constructor to get the underlying byte
+            string.
+        :type b: buffer | memoryview
 
         :return: Python object instance as loaded via pickle from the given
             ``psycopg2.Binary`` buffer.
diff --git a/python/smqtk/tests/representation/KeyValueStore/test_PostgresKeyValueStore.py b/python/smqtk/tests/representation/KeyValueStore/test_PostgresKeyValueStore.py
index 446f88b8f..a197fc0e9 100644
--- a/python/smqtk/tests/representation/KeyValueStore/test_PostgresKeyValueStore.py
+++ b/python/smqtk/tests/representation/KeyValueStore/test_PostgresKeyValueStore.py
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ def test_remove(self, m_gcp):
             the mock cursor.
             """
             expected_key = 'test_remove_key'
-            expected_key_bytea = bytes(
-                PostgresKeyValueStore._py_to_bin(expected_key))
+            expected_key_bytea = \
+                PostgresKeyValueStore._py_to_bin(expected_key).getquoted()
 
             # Cut out create table calls.
             s = PostgresKeyValueStore(create_table=False)
@@ -66,7 +66,12 @@ def test_remove(self, m_gcp):
                                      "DELETE FROM .+ WHERE .+ LIKE .+")
             self.assertEqual(set(mock_execute.call_args[0][1].keys()),
                              {'key_like'})
-            self.assertEqual(bytes(mock_execute.call_args[0][1]['key_like']),
+            # Value passed to ``cursor.execute`` should be the result of
+            # ``_py_to_bin``, AKA the ``psycopg2.Binary`` instance.  Compare
+            # using the quoted representation that will be used in the SQL
+            # query.
+            self.assertIsNotNone(mock_execute.call_args[0][1]['key_like'].getquoted())
+            self.assertEqual(mock_execute.call_args[0][1]['key_like'].getquoted(),
                              expected_key_bytea)
 
         @mock.patch('smqtk.utils.postgres.get_connection_pool')
@@ -156,22 +161,28 @@ def test_remove_many(self, m_psqlExecBatch, m_gcp):
                              "%(key_tuple)s"
             mock_execute_call_args = mock_execute.call_args[0]
             self.assertEqual(mock_execute_call_args[0], expected_has_q)
+            # Value passed to ``cursor.execute`` should be the result of
+            # ``_py_to_bin``, AKA the ``psycopg2.Binary`` instance.  Compare
+            # using the quoted representation that will be used in the SQL
+            # query.
             self.assertEqual(set(mock_execute_call_args[1].keys()), {'key_tuple'})
+            for k in mock_execute_call_args[1]['key_tuple']:
+                self.assertIsNotNone(k.getquoted())
             self.assertEqual(
-                [bytes(k) for k in mock_execute_call_args[1]['key_tuple']],
-                [bytes(k) for k in [exp_key_1_bytea, exp_key_2_bytea]]
+                [k.getquoted() for k in mock_execute_call_args[1]['key_tuple']],
+                [k.getquoted() for k in [exp_key_1_bytea, exp_key_2_bytea]]
             )
 
             # Confirm call arguments to ``psycopg2.extras.execute_batch``
             expected_del_q = "DELETE FROM data_set WHERE key LIKE %(key_like)s"
-            expected_del_vals = [{'key_like': exp_key_1_bytea},
-                                 {'key_like': exp_key_2_bytea}]
             psqlExecBatch_call_args = m_psqlExecBatch.call_args[0]
             self.assertEqual(psqlExecBatch_call_args[0], mock_cursor)
             self.assertEqual(psqlExecBatch_call_args[1], expected_del_q)
             # 3rd argument is a list of dictionaries for 'key_like' replacements
             self.assertEqual(len(psqlExecBatch_call_args[2]), 2)
+            for d in psqlExecBatch_call_args[2]:
+                self.assertIsNotNone(d['key_like'].getquoted())
             self.assertListEqual(
-                [bytes(d['key_like']) for d in psqlExecBatch_call_args[2]],
-                [bytes(exp_key_1_bytea), bytes(exp_key_2_bytea)]
+                [d['key_like'].getquoted() for d in psqlExecBatch_call_args[2]],
+                [exp_key_1_bytea.getquoted(), exp_key_2_bytea.getquoted()]
             )