diff --git a/nova/api/ec2/apirequest.py b/nova/api/ec2/apirequest.py
index 0854bd7bc50a..83a161ba713f 100644
--- a/nova/api/ec2/apirequest.py
+++ b/nova/api/ec2/apirequest.py
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@ import datetime
 from xml.dom import minidom
 
 from lxml import etree
+import six
 
 from nova.api.ec2 import ec2utils
 from nova import exception
 from nova.openstack.common import log as logging
+from nova.openstack.common import strutils
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ class APIRequest(object):
             data_el.appendChild(
                   xml.createTextNode(_database_to_isoformat(data)))
         elif data is not None:
-            data_el.appendChild(xml.createTextNode(str(data)))
+            data_el.appendChild(xml.createTextNode(
+                strutils.safe_encode(six.text_type(data))))
 
         return data_el
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/ec2/test_apirequest.py b/nova/tests/api/ec2/test_apirequest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..49048bfa23e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nova/tests/api/ec2/test_apirequest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# Copyright 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
+#
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+"""Unit tests for the API Request internals."""
+
+import copy
+
+from nova.api.ec2 import apirequest
+from nova import test
+
+
+class APIRequestTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(APIRequestTestCase, self).setUp()
+        self.req = apirequest.APIRequest("FakeController", "FakeAction",
+                                         "FakeVersion", {})
+        self.resp = {
+            'string': 'foo',
+            'int': 1,
+            'long': long(1),
+            'bool': False,
+            'dict': {
+                'string': 'foo',
+                'int': 1,
+            }
+        }
+
+        # The previous will produce an output that looks like the
+        # following (excusing line wrap for 80 cols):
+        #
+        # <FakeActionResponse xmlns="http://ec2.amazonaws.com/doc/\
+        #          FakeVersion/">
+        #   <requestId>uuid</requestId>
+        #   <int>1</int>
+        #   <dict>
+        #     <int>1</int>
+        #     <string>foo</string>
+        #   </dict>
+        #   <bool>false</bool>
+        #   <string>foo</string>
+        # </FakeActionResponse>
+        #
+        # We don't attempt to ever test for the full document because
+        # hash seed order might impact it's rendering order. The fact
+        # that running the function doesn't explode is a big part of
+        # the win.
+
+    def test_render_response_ascii(self):
+        data = self.req._render_response(self.resp, 'uuid')
+        self.assertIn('<FakeActionResponse xmlns="http://ec2.amazonaws.com/'
+                      'doc/FakeVersion/', data)
+        self.assertIn('<int>1</int>', data)
+        self.assertIn('<string>foo</string>', data)
+
+    def test_render_response_utf8(self):
+        resp = copy.deepcopy(self.resp)
+        resp['utf8'] = unichr(40960) + u'abcd' + unichr(1972)
+        data = self.req._render_response(resp, 'uuid')
+        self.assertIn('<utf8>&#40960;abcd&#1972;</utf8>', data)