diff --git a/src/virtualenv/activation/python/activate_this.py b/src/virtualenv/activation/python/activate_this.py
index 9cc816fab..ef7911c3a 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/activation/python/activate_this.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/activation/python/activate_this.py
@@ -20,18 +20,18 @@
     raise AssertionError(msg) from exc
 
 bin_dir = os.path.dirname(abs_file)
-base = bin_dir[: -len(__BIN_NAME__) - 1]  # strip away the bin part from the __file__, plus the path separator
+base = bin_dir[: -len("__BIN_NAME__") - 1]  # strip away the bin part from the __file__, plus the path separator
 
 # prepend bin to PATH (this file is inside the bin directory)
 os.environ["PATH"] = os.pathsep.join([bin_dir, *os.environ.get("PATH", "").split(os.pathsep)])
 os.environ["VIRTUAL_ENV"] = base  # virtual env is right above bin directory
-os.environ["VIRTUAL_ENV_PROMPT"] = __VIRTUAL_PROMPT__ or os.path.basename(base)
+os.environ["VIRTUAL_ENV_PROMPT"] = "__VIRTUAL_PROMPT__" or os.path.basename(base)
 
 # add the virtual environments libraries to the host python import mechanism
 prev_length = len(sys.path)
-for lib in __LIB_FOLDERS__.split(os.pathsep):
+for lib in "__LIB_FOLDERS__".split(os.pathsep):
     path = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(bin_dir, lib))
-    site.addsitedir(path.decode("utf-8") if __DECODE_PATH__ else path)
+    site.addsitedir(path)
 sys.path[:] = sys.path[prev_length:] + sys.path[0:prev_length]
 
 sys.real_prefix = sys.prefix