diff --git a/scripts/analyze-migration.py b/scripts/analyze-migration.py
index 95838cbff3..d70ec7d33a 100755
--- a/scripts/analyze-migration.py
+++ b/scripts/analyze-migration.py
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ class MigrationFile(object):
         # Seek back to where we were at the beginning
         self.file.seek(entrypos, 0)
 
-        return data[jsonpos:jsonpos + jsonlen]
+        # explicit decode() needed for Python 3.5 compatibility
+        return data[jsonpos:jsonpos + jsonlen].decode("utf-8")
 
     def close(self):
         self.file.close()