diff --git a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/AtlasSemantics.py b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/AtlasSemantics.py
index df20918420fd524568ef7e39966ef5a5093a90ee..97ff06f2c0fd9853dd6b1571f186e89150be0587 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/AtlasSemantics.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/AtlasSemantics.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
+from past.builtins import basestring
 import GaudiConfig2.semantics
 from GaudiKernel.GaudiHandles import PrivateToolHandleArray
 import re