diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6cd2081..de45385 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 language: python
 python:
   - "2.7"
-#  - "3.5"
+  - "3.5"
+  - "3.6"
+  - "3.7"
 # command to install dependencies
 cache:
   - pip
@@ -11,7 +13,7 @@ install:
 # command to run tests
 env:
   - AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=foo AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=bar TESTCASE=tests/tests.py
-script: 
+script:
   - nosetests $TESTCASE --with-coverage --cover-package=nodb --with-timer
     #  - coverage combine --append
 after_success:
diff --git a/nodb/__init__.py b/nodb/__init__.py
index 8380687..3735e5c 100644
--- a/nodb/__init__.py
+++ b/nodb/__init__.py
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ def load(self, index, metainfo=False, default=None):
 
         # If cache enabled, check local filestore for bytes
         cache_hit = False
+        cache_path = None
         if self.cache:
             base_cache_path = self._get_base_cache_path()
             cache_path = os.path.join(base_cache_path, real_index)
@@ -137,13 +138,16 @@ def load(self, index, metainfo=False, default=None):
                 return default
 
             # Store the cache result
-            if self.cache:
+            if self.cache and cache_path:
 
                 if not os.path.exists(cache_path):
                     open(cache_path, 'w+').close()
 
                 with open(cache_path, "wb") as in_file:
-                    in_file.write(serialized.encode(self.encoding))
+                    if type(serialized) is bytes:
+                        in_file.write(serialized)
+                    else:
+                        in_file.write(serialized.encode(self.encoding))
 
                 logging.debug("Wrote to cache file: " + cache_path)
 
@@ -167,6 +171,14 @@ def delete(self, index):
         # First, calculate the real index
         real_index = self._format_index_value(index)
 
+        # handle delete from cache
+        if self.cache:
+            base_cache_path = self._get_base_cache_path()
+            cache_path = os.path.join(base_cache_path, real_index)
+            # Cache hit!
+            if os.path.isfile(cache_path):
+                os.remove(cache_path)
+
         # Next, get the bytes (if any)
         serialized_s3 = self.s3.Object(self.bucket, self.prefix + real_index)
         result = serialized_s3.delete()
@@ -235,6 +247,8 @@ def _deserialize(self, serialized):
         """
 
         obj = None
+        if type(serialized) == bytes:
+            serialized = serialized.decode()
         deserialized = json.loads(serialized)
         return_me = {}
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index ab1bb72..10b770f 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,6 @@
-appdirs>=1.4.3
 boto3>=1.4.4
-botocore>=1.5.38
-docutils>=0.13.1
+# @bendog not sure why the following are needed
+appdirs>=1.4.3
 funcsigs>=1.0.2
-futures>=3.0.5
-jmespath>=0.9.2
 packaging>=16.8
 pbr>=2.0.0
-pyparsing>=2.2.0
-python-dateutil==2.6.0
-s3transfer>=0.1.10
-six>=1.10.0
diff --git a/test_requirements.txt b/test_requirements.txt
index 69740ab..4a94c17 100644
--- a/test_requirements.txt
+++ b/test_requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-coverage==4.3.4
+coverage>=4.3.4
 coveralls>=1.1
-moto==1.3.7
-nose==1.3.7
+moto>=1.3.7
+nose>=1.3.7
 nose-timer>=0.6.0
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index f3c5ea5..9905f87 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ def test_nodb_aws_profile_name(self):
 
     @moto.mock_s3
     def test_nodb_cache(self):
-        nodb = NoDB('dummy')
+        bucket_name = 'dummy'
+        nodb = NoDB(bucket_name)
+        self._create_mock_bucket(bucket_name)
         nodb.index = "Name"
         nodb.cache = True
 
@@ -128,6 +130,16 @@ def test_nodb_cache(self):
         self.assertEqual(loaded, jeff)
         loaded = nodb.load("Jeff", default="Booty")
         self.assertEqual(loaded, jeff)
+        # test the cached item is deleted
+        nodb.delete('Jeff')
+        loaded = nodb.load("Jeff")
+        self.assertIsNone(loaded)
+        # test read from bucket when cache enabled
+        # remove cached file
+        nodb.save(jeff)
+        if os.path.isfile(cache_path):
+            os.remove(cache_path)
+        nodb.load('Jeff')
 
         bcp = nodb._get_base_cache_path()