diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
index e37f2834..5afbbd87 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import logging
+import os
 import re
 import sys
 import six
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
             self.d.configure(service, config)
 
     def _auto_wait_for_status(self, message=None, exclude_services=None,
-                              include_only=None, timeout=1800):
+                              include_only=None, timeout=None):
         """Wait for all units to have a specific extended status, except
         for any defined as excluded.  Unless specified via message, any
         status containing any case of 'ready' will be considered a match.
@@ -215,7 +216,10 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
         :param timeout: Maximum time in seconds to wait for status match
         :returns: None.  Raises if timeout is hit.
         """
-        self.log.info('Waiting for extended status on units...')
+        if not timeout:
+            timeout = int(os.environ.get('AMULET_SETUP_TIMEOUT', 1800))
+        self.log.info('Waiting for extended status on units for {}s...'
+                      ''.format(timeout))
 
         all_services = self.d.services.keys()
 
@@ -252,9 +256,9 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
         service_messages = {service: message for service in services}
 
         # Check for idleness
-        self.d.sentry.wait()
+        self.d.sentry.wait(timeout=timeout)
         # Check for error states and bail early
-        self.d.sentry.wait_for_status(self.d.juju_env, services)
+        self.d.sentry.wait_for_status(self.d.juju_env, services, timeout=timeout)
         # Check for ready messages
         self.d.sentry.wait_for_messages(service_messages, timeout=timeout)
 
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
index 5cc5c86b..fd14d60f 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
@@ -549,6 +549,8 @@ def write_file(path, content, owner='root', group='root', perms=0o444):
         with open(path, 'wb') as target:
             os.fchown(target.fileno(), uid, gid)
             os.fchmod(target.fileno(), perms)
+            if six.PY3 and isinstance(content, six.string_types):
+                content = content.encode('UTF-8')
             target.write(content)
         return
     # the contents were the same, but we might still need to change the
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
index e37f2834..5afbbd87 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import logging
+import os
 import re
 import sys
 import six
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
             self.d.configure(service, config)
 
     def _auto_wait_for_status(self, message=None, exclude_services=None,
-                              include_only=None, timeout=1800):
+                              include_only=None, timeout=None):
         """Wait for all units to have a specific extended status, except
         for any defined as excluded.  Unless specified via message, any
         status containing any case of 'ready' will be considered a match.
@@ -215,7 +216,10 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
         :param timeout: Maximum time in seconds to wait for status match
         :returns: None.  Raises if timeout is hit.
         """
-        self.log.info('Waiting for extended status on units...')
+        if not timeout:
+            timeout = int(os.environ.get('AMULET_SETUP_TIMEOUT', 1800))
+        self.log.info('Waiting for extended status on units for {}s...'
+                      ''.format(timeout))
 
         all_services = self.d.services.keys()
 
@@ -252,9 +256,9 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
         service_messages = {service: message for service in services}
 
         # Check for idleness
-        self.d.sentry.wait()
+        self.d.sentry.wait(timeout=timeout)
         # Check for error states and bail early
-        self.d.sentry.wait_for_status(self.d.juju_env, services)
+        self.d.sentry.wait_for_status(self.d.juju_env, services, timeout=timeout)
         # Check for ready messages
         self.d.sentry.wait_for_messages(service_messages, timeout=timeout)
 
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/core/host.py b/tests/charmhelpers/core/host.py
index 5cc5c86b..fd14d60f 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/core/host.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/core/host.py
@@ -549,6 +549,8 @@ def write_file(path, content, owner='root', group='root', perms=0o444):
         with open(path, 'wb') as target:
             os.fchown(target.fileno(), uid, gid)
             os.fchmod(target.fileno(), perms)
+            if six.PY3 and isinstance(content, six.string_types):
+                content = content.encode('UTF-8')
             target.write(content)
         return
     # the contents were the same, but we might still need to change the