diff --git a/docs/quickstart.rst b/docs/quickstart.rst
index 122d65b5..c4f5a897 100644
--- a/docs/quickstart.rst
+++ b/docs/quickstart.rst
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ Preview your site
 -----------------
 
 Open a new terminal session and run the following commands to switch to your
-``output`` directory and launch Python's built-in web server::
+``output`` directory and launch Pelican's web server::
 
     cd ~/projects/yoursite/output
-    python -m SimpleHTTPServer # -m http.server if you use python3
+    python -m pelican.server
 
 Preview your site by navigating to http://localhost:8000/ in your browser.
 
diff --git a/pelican/server.py b/pelican/server.py
index 60252e1f..f58ac085 100644
--- a/pelican/server.py
+++ b/pelican/server.py
@@ -2,30 +2,22 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 import os
 import sys
 import logging
-try:
-    import SimpleHTTPServer as srvmod
-except ImportError:
-    import http.server as srvmod  # NOQA
 
-try:
-    import SocketServer as socketserver
-except ImportError:
-    import socketserver  # NOQA
+from six.moves import SimpleHTTPServer as srvmod
+from six.moves import socketserver
 
 try:
     from magic import from_file as magic_from_file
 except ImportError:
     magic_from_file = None
 
-PORT = len(sys.argv) in (2, 3) and int(sys.argv[1]) or 8000
-SERVER = len(sys.argv) == 3 and sys.argv[2] or ""
-SUFFIXES = ['', '.html', '/index.html']
-
 
 class ComplexHTTPRequestHandler(srvmod.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
+    SUFFIXES = ['', '.html', '/index.html']
+
     def do_GET(self):
         # Try to detect file by applying various suffixes
-        for suffix in SUFFIXES:
+        for suffix in self.SUFFIXES:
             if not hasattr(self, 'original_path'):
                 self.original_path = self.path
 
@@ -56,19 +48,21 @@ class ComplexHTTPRequestHandler(srvmod.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
         return mimetype
 
 
-Handler = ComplexHTTPRequestHandler
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    PORT = len(sys.argv) in (2, 3) and int(sys.argv[1]) or 8000
+    SERVER = len(sys.argv) == 3 and sys.argv[2] or ""
 
-socketserver.TCPServer.allow_reuse_address = True
-try:
-    httpd = socketserver.TCPServer((SERVER, PORT), Handler)
-except OSError as e:
-    logging.error("Could not listen on port %s, server %s.", PORT, SERVER)
-    sys.exit(getattr(e, 'exitcode', 1))
+    socketserver.TCPServer.allow_reuse_address = True
+    try:
+        httpd = socketserver.TCPServer((SERVER, PORT), ComplexHTTPRequestHandler)
+    except OSError as e:
+        logging.error("Could not listen on port %s, server %s.", PORT, SERVER)
+        sys.exit(getattr(e, 'exitcode', 1))
 
 
-logging.info("Serving at port %s, server %s.", PORT, SERVER)
-try:
-    httpd.serve_forever()
-except KeyboardInterrupt as e:
-    logging.info("Shutting down server.")
-    httpd.socket.close()
+    logging.info("Serving at port %s, server %s.", PORT, SERVER)
+    try:
+        httpd.serve_forever()
+    except KeyboardInterrupt as e:
+        logging.info("Shutting down server.")
+        httpd.socket.close()
diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/fabfile.py.in b/pelican/tools/templates/fabfile.py.in
index a8ab586b..bcc66f6a 100644
--- a/pelican/tools/templates/fabfile.py.in
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/fabfile.py.in
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ import fabric.contrib.project as project
 import os
 import shutil
 import sys
-import SimpleHTTPServer
 import SocketServer
 
+from pelican.server import ComplexHTTPRequestHandler
+
 # Local path configuration (can be absolute or relative to fabfile)
 env.deploy_path = 'output'
 DEPLOY_PATH = env.deploy_path
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ def serve():
     class AddressReuseTCPServer(SocketServer.TCPServer):
         allow_reuse_address = True
 
-    server = AddressReuseTCPServer(('', PORT), SimpleHTTPServer.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler)
+    server = AddressReuseTCPServer(('', PORT), ComplexHTTPRequestHandler)
 
     sys.stderr.write('Serving on port {0} ...\n'.format(PORT))
     server.serve_forever()