diff --git a/tools/make-firefox-meta.py b/tools/make-firefox-meta.py
index a8c066bf5..a4ebe4012 100644
--- a/tools/make-firefox-meta.py
+++ b/tools/make-firefox-meta.py
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 import os
 import json
 import sys
+from io import open
 from shutil import rmtree
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
-if not sys.argv[1]:
-	raise SystemExit('Build dir missing.')
+if len(sys.argv) == 1 or not sys.argv[1]:
+    raise SystemExit('Build dir missing.')
 
 
 def mkdirs(path):
diff --git a/tools/make-safari-meta.py b/tools/make-safari-meta.py
index 5c57cb2ba..ad6a63cd4 100755
--- a/tools/make-safari-meta.py
+++ b/tools/make-safari-meta.py
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@
 import os
 import json
 import sys
-import codecs
+from io import open
 from time import time
-from urllib import parse
 from shutil import rmtree
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
-if not sys.argv[1]:
+if len(sys.argv) == 1 or not sys.argv[1]:
     raise SystemExit('Build dir missing.')
 
 
@@ -27,9 +26,9 @@ description = ''
 # locales
 locale_dir = pj(build_dir, '_locales')
 
-for alpha2 in os.listdir(locale_dir):
+for alpha2 in sorted(os.listdir(locale_dir)):
     locale_path = pj(locale_dir, alpha2, 'messages.json')
-    with codecs.open(locale_path, 'r', encoding='utf8') as f:
+    with open(locale_path, encoding='utf-8') as f:
         string_data = json.load(f, object_pairs_hook=OrderedDict)
 
     if alpha2 == 'en':
@@ -45,29 +44,23 @@ for alpha2 in os.listdir(locale_dir):
 
     mkdirs(pj(locale_dir))
 
-    with codecs.open(locale_path, 'w', encoding='utf8') as f:
-        json.dump(string_data, f, ensure_ascii=False)
+    with open(locale_path, 'wb') as f:
+        f.write(json.dumps(string_data, ensure_ascii=False).encode('utf8'))
 
 
 # update Info.plist
 proj_dir = pj(os.path.split(os.path.abspath(__file__))[0], '..')
 chromium_manifest = pj(proj_dir, 'platform', 'chromium', 'manifest.json')
 
-with codecs.open(chromium_manifest, encoding='utf8') as m:
+with open(chromium_manifest, encoding='utf-8') as m:
     manifest = json.load(m)
 
 manifest['buildNumber'] = int(time())
 manifest['description'] = description
 
-# pass "#name,version" as the fragment in the URL of the background script
-manifest['appInfo'] = ','.join([
-    parse.quote(manifest['name']),
-    manifest['version']
-])
-
 info_plist = pj(build_dir, 'Info.plist')
 
-with codecs.open(pj(build_dir, 'Info.plist'), 'r+', encoding='utf8') as f:
+with open(info_plist, 'r+t', encoding='utf-8', newline='\n') as f:
     info_plist = f.read()
     f.seek(0)
 
@@ -77,8 +70,8 @@ with codecs.open(pj(build_dir, 'Info.plist'), 'r+', encoding='utf8') as f:
 update_plist = pj(proj_dir, 'platform', 'safari', 'Update.plist')
 update_plist_build = pj(build_dir, '..', os.path.basename(update_plist))
 
-with codecs.open(update_plist_build, 'w', encoding='utf8') as f:
-    with codecs.open(update_plist, encoding='utf8') as u:
+with open(update_plist_build, 'wt', encoding='utf-8', newline='\n') as f:
+    with open(update_plist, encoding='utf-8') as u:
         update_plist = u.read()
 
     f.write(update_plist.format(**manifest))