diff --git a/swift/proxy/server.py b/swift/proxy/server.py
index 9b89498c53..98072aaf26 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/server.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/server.py
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ class Application(object):
               ' re: %(info)s'),
             {'type': typ, 'ip': node['ip'],
              'port': node['port'], 'device': node['device'],
-             'info': additional_info},
+             'info': additional_info.decode('utf-8')},
             **kwargs)
 
     def modify_wsgi_pipeline(self, pipe):
diff --git a/test/unit/__init__.py b/test/unit/__init__.py
index acc3c8612f..97df0004b2 100644
--- a/test/unit/__init__.py
+++ b/test/unit/__init__.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import eventlet
 from eventlet.green import socket
 from tempfile import mkdtemp
 from shutil import rmtree
+import json
 
 
 from swift.common.utils import Timestamp, NOTICE
@@ -223,7 +224,8 @@ class FakeRing(Ring):
         for x in range(self.replicas):
             ip = '10.0.0.%s' % x
             port = self._base_port + x
-            self._devs.append({
+            # round trip through json to ensure unicode like real rings
+            self._devs.append(json.loads(json.dumps({
                 'ip': ip,
                 'replication_ip': ip,
                 'port': port,
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ class FakeRing(Ring):
                 'zone': x % 3,
                 'region': x % 2,
                 'id': x,
-            })
+            })))
 
     @property
     def replica_count(self):
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
index 4495fb0c68..e24d152d26 100755
--- a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
@@ -856,6 +856,20 @@ class TestReplicatedObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin,
             node_error_count(self.app, object_ring.devs[1]),
             self.app.error_suppression_limit + 1)
 
+    def test_PUT_connect_exception_with_unicode_path_and_locale(self):
+        expected = 201
+        statuses = (
+            Exception('Connection refused: Please insert ten dollars'),
+            201, 201)
+
+        req = swob.Request.blank('/v1/AUTH_kilroy/%ED%88%8E/%E9%90%89',
+                                 method='PUT',
+                                 body='life is utf-gr8')
+        with set_http_connect(*statuses):
+            resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_int, expected)
+
     def test_PUT_error_during_transfer_data(self):
         class FakeReader(object):
             def read(self, size):