diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/efi_utils.py b/ironic_python_agent/efi_utils.py
index da5e97b69..d866fb6bf 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/efi_utils.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/efi_utils.py
@@ -275,8 +275,19 @@ def get_boot_records():
 
     :return: an iterator yielding pairs (boot number, boot record).
     """
-    efi_output = utils.execute('efibootmgr', '-v')
-    for line in efi_output[0].split('\n'):
+    # Invokes binary=True so we get a python3 bytestream back.
+    efi_output = utils.execute('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True)
+    if hasattr(efi_output[0], 'decode'):
+        # Bytes must be decoded before regex can be run and
+        # matching to work as intended.
+        # Also ignore errors on decoding, as we can basically get
+        # garbage out of the nvram record, this way we don't fail
+        # hard on unrelated records.
+        cmd_output = efi_output[0].decode('utf-16', errors='ignore')
+    else:
+        # This is a fallback.
+        cmd_output = str(efi_output[0])
+    for line in cmd_output.split('\n'):
         match = _ENTRY_LABEL.match(line)
         if match is not None:
             yield (match[1], match[2])
@@ -293,7 +304,7 @@ def add_boot_record(device, efi_partition, loader, label):
     # https://linux.die.net/man/8/efibootmgr
     utils.execute('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', device,
                   '-p', str(efi_partition), '-w', '-L', label,
-                  '-l', loader)
+                  '-l', loader, binary=True)
 
 
 def remove_boot_record(boot_num):
@@ -301,7 +312,7 @@ def remove_boot_record(boot_num):
 
     :param boot_num: the number of the boot record
     """
-    utils.execute('efibootmgr', '-b', boot_num, '-B')
+    utils.execute('efibootmgr', '-b', boot_num, '-B', binary=True)
 
 
 def _run_efibootmgr(valid_efi_bootloaders, device, efi_partition,
diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/extensions/image.py b/ironic_python_agent/extensions/image.py
index 46be48c2a..949ff494d 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/extensions/image.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/extensions/image.py
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ def _efi_boot_setup(device, efi_system_part_uuid=None, target_boot_mode=None):
 
     if boot.current_boot_mode == 'uefi':
         try:
-            utils.execute('efibootmgr', '--version')
+            utils.execute('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True)
         except FileNotFoundError:
             LOG.warning("efibootmgr is not available in the ramdisk")
         else:
diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_image.py b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_image.py
index 46afe0ef8..3423c9bb1 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_image.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_image.py
@@ -234,17 +234,17 @@ class TestImageExtension(base.IronicAgentTest):
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', '')])
 
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True),
                     mock.call('partx', '-av', '/dev/fake', attempts=3,
                               delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('udevadm', 'settle'),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -282,17 +282,17 @@ class TestImageExtension(base.IronicAgentTest):
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', '')])
 
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True),
                     mock.call('partx', '-av', '/dev/fake', attempts=3,
                               delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('udevadm', 'settle'),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -339,18 +339,18 @@ Boot0002 VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', '')])
 
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True),
                     mock.call('partx', '-av', '/dev/fake', attempts=3,
                               delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('udevadm', 'settle'),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0000', '-B'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0000', '-B', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -401,19 +401,19 @@ Boot0004* ironic1      HD(1,GPT,55db8d03-c8f6-4a5b-9155-790dddc348fa,0x800,0x640
                                          (stdout_msg, ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', '')])
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True),
                     mock.call('partx', '-av', '/dev/fake', attempts=3,
                               delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('udevadm', 'settle'),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0000', '-B'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0004', '-B'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0000', '-B', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0004', '-B', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -454,21 +454,21 @@ Boot0004* ironic1      HD(1,GPT,55db8d03-c8f6-4a5b-9155-790dddc348fa,0x800,0x640
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', '')])
 
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True),
                     mock.call('partx', '-av', '/dev/fake', attempts=3,
                               delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('udevadm', 'settle'),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic2', '-l',
-                              '\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winload.efi'),
+                              '\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winload.efi', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ Boot0004* ironic1      HD(1,GPT,55db8d03-c8f6-4a5b-9155-790dddc348fa,0x800,0x640
             root_uuid=self.fake_root_uuid,
             efi_system_part_uuid=None).join()
         self.assertIsNotNone(result.command_error)
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version')]
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '--version', binary=True)]
         mock_execute.assert_has_calls(expected)
 
     @mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists', lambda *_: True)
diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/test_efi_utils.py b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/test_efi_utils.py
index 64de61bce..4752f7421 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/test_efi_utils.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/test_efi_utils.py
@@ -120,11 +120,11 @@ class TestRunEfiBootmgr(base.IronicAgentTest):
                                            self.fake_dev,
                                            self.fake_efi_system_part,
                                            self.fake_dir)
-        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+        expected = [mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', self.fake_efi_system_part, '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI')]
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True)]
         self.assertIsNone(result)
         mock_execute.assert_has_calls(expected)
 
@@ -184,11 +184,11 @@ class TestManageUefi(base.IronicAgentTest):
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -219,30 +219,34 @@ class TestManageUefi(base.IronicAgentTest):
         # at the start of the file, where as Red Hat *does*
         csv_file_data = u'shimx64.efi,Vendor String,,Grub2MadeUSDoThis\n'
         # This test also handles deleting a pre-existing matching vendor
-        # string in advance.
+        # string in advance. This string also includes a UTF16 character
+        # *on* purpose, to force proper decoding to be tested and garbage
+        # characters which can be found in OVMF test VM NVRAM records.
         dupe_entry = """
 BootCurrent: 0001
 Timeout: 0 seconds
 BootOrder: 0000,00001
-Boot0000* Vendor String HD(1,GPT,4f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b5c)File(\EFI\Boot\BOOTX64.EFI)
-Boot0001 Vendor String HD(2,GPT,4f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b5c)File(\EFI\Boot\BOOTX64.EFI)
-Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
+Boot0000 UTF16ÿ HD(1,GPT,4f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b5c)File(\EFI\Boot\BOOTX64.EFI)
+Boot0001* Vendor String HD(1,GPT,4f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b5c)File(\EFI\Boot\BOOTX64.EFI)
+Boot0002 Vendor String HD(2,GPT,4f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b5c)File(\EFI\Boot\BOOTX64.EFI)
+Boot0003: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)N.....YM....R,Y.
 """  # noqa This is a giant literal string for testing.
 
-        mock_execute.side_effect = iter([('', ''), (dupe_entry, ''),
+        mock_execute.side_effect = iter([('', ''),
+                                         (dupe_entry.encode('utf-16'), ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', ''), ('', ''),
                                          ('', '')])
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0000', '-B'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0001', '-B'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0001', '-B', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-b', '0002', '-B', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'Vendor String', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\vendor\\shimx64.efi'),
+                              '\\EFI\\vendor\\shimx64.efi', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -274,11 +278,11 @@ Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', '/dev/fakenvme0p1',
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', '/dev/fakenvme0',
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -309,11 +313,11 @@ Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', self.fake_dev,
                               '-p', '1', '-w',
                               '-L', 'ironic1', '-l',
-                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -360,14 +364,14 @@ Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', '/dev/sda3',
                               '-p', '3', '-w', '-L', 'ironic1 (RAID, part0)',
-                              '-l', '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                              '-l', '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', '-c', '-d', '/dev/sdb3',
                               '-p', '3', '-w', '-L', 'ironic1 (RAID, part1)',
-                              '-l', '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI'),
+                              '-l', '\\EFI\\BOOT\\BOOTX64.EFI', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -425,7 +429,7 @@ Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True),
                     mock.call('sync')]
@@ -462,7 +466,7 @@ Boot0002: VENDMAGIC FvFile(9f3c6294-bf9b-4208-9808-be45dfc34b51)
 
         expected = [mock.call('mount', self.fake_efi_system_part,
                               self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi'),
-                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v'),
+                    mock.call('efibootmgr', '-v', binary=True),
                     mock.call('umount', self.fake_dir + '/boot/efi',
                               attempts=3, delay_on_retry=True)]