diff --git a/docs/faq.rst b/docs/faq.rst
index 8dc3870f..9b1eab00 100644
--- a/docs/faq.rst
+++ b/docs/faq.rst
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ to Python 2's ``str`` object) and several standard library modules.
 ``python-future`` supports only Python 2.7+ and Python 3.4+, whereas ``six``
 supports all versions of Python from 2.4 onwards. (See
 :ref:`supported-versions`.) If you must support older Python versions,
-``six`` will be esssential for you. However, beware that maintaining
+``six`` will be essential for you. However, beware that maintaining
 single-source compatibility with older Python versions is ugly and `not
 fun <http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2013/5/21/porting-to-python-3-redux/>`_.
 
diff --git a/src/future/__init__.py b/src/future/__init__.py
index 8139aa33..aee268a9 100644
--- a/src/future/__init__.py
+++ b/src/future/__init__.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 __license__ = 'MIT'
 __copyright__ = 'Copyright 2013-2016 Python Charmers Pty Ltd'
 __ver_major__ = 0
-__ver_minor__ = 16
+__ver_minor__ = 17
 __ver_patch__ = 0
 __ver_sub__ = ''
 __version__ = "%d.%d.%d%s" % (__ver_major__, __ver_minor__,
diff --git a/src/future/types/newbytes.py b/src/future/types/newbytes.py
index 70d12687..2a337c86 100644
--- a/src/future/types/newbytes.py
+++ b/src/future/types/newbytes.py
@@ -373,24 +373,24 @@ def __ne__(self, other):
     unorderable_err = 'unorderable types: bytes() and {0}'
 
     def __lt__(self, other):
-        if not isbytes(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newbytes, self).__lt__(other)
+        if isinstance(other, _builtin_bytes):
+            return super(newbytes, self).__lt__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __le__(self, other):
-        if not isbytes(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newbytes, self).__le__(other)
+        if isinstance(other, _builtin_bytes):
+            return super(newbytes, self).__le__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __gt__(self, other):
-        if not isbytes(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newbytes, self).__gt__(other)
+        if isinstance(other, _builtin_bytes):
+            return super(newbytes, self).__gt__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __ge__(self, other):
-        if not isbytes(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newbytes, self).__ge__(other)
+        if isinstance(other, _builtin_bytes):
+            return super(newbytes, self).__ge__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __native__(self):
         # We can't just feed a newbytes object into str(), because
diff --git a/src/future/types/newstr.py b/src/future/types/newstr.py
index def42e94..e6272fb9 100644
--- a/src/future/types/newstr.py
+++ b/src/future/types/newstr.py
@@ -302,24 +302,28 @@ def __ne__(self, other):
     unorderable_err = 'unorderable types: str() and {0}'
 
     def __lt__(self, other):
-        if not istext(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newstr, self).__lt__(other)
+        if (isinstance(other, unicode) or
+            isinstance(other, bytes) and not isnewbytes(other)):
+            return super(newstr, self).__lt__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __le__(self, other):
-        if not istext(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newstr, self).__le__(other)
+        if (isinstance(other, unicode) or
+            isinstance(other, bytes) and not isnewbytes(other)):
+            return super(newstr, self).__le__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __gt__(self, other):
-        if not istext(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newstr, self).__gt__(other)
+        if (isinstance(other, unicode) or
+            isinstance(other, bytes) and not isnewbytes(other)):
+            return super(newstr, self).__gt__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __ge__(self, other):
-        if not istext(other):
-            raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
-        return super(newstr, self).__ge__(other)
+        if (isinstance(other, unicode) or
+            isinstance(other, bytes) and not isnewbytes(other)):
+            return super(newstr, self).__ge__(other)
+        raise TypeError(self.unorderable_err.format(type(other)))
 
     def __getattribute__(self, name):
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_future/test_str.py b/tests/test_future/test_str.py
index 3056d30b..dcc15628 100644
--- a/tests/test_future/test_str.py
+++ b/tests/test_future/test_str.py
@@ -382,10 +382,6 @@ def test_cmp(self):
             s > 3
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             s < 1000
-        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
-            s > b'XYZ'
-        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
-            s < b'XYZ'
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             s <= 3
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):