diff --git a/pecan/jsonify.py b/pecan/jsonify.py
index 300666b..60e4883 100644
--- a/pecan/jsonify.py
+++ b/pecan/jsonify.py
@@ -5,10 +5,16 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from datetime               import datetime, date
 from decimal                import Decimal
-from webob.multidict        import MultiDict
-from sqlalchemy.engine.base import ResultProxy, RowProxy
+from webob.multidict        import MultiDict, UnicodeMultiDict
 from simplegeneric          import generic
 
+try:
+    from sqlalchemy.engine.base import ResultProxy, RowProxy
+except ImportError:         #pragma no cover
+    # dummy classes since we don't have SQLAlchemy installed
+    class ResultProxy: pass
+    class RowProxy: pass
+
 #
 # exceptions
 #
@@ -32,6 +38,9 @@ class GenericJSON(JSONEncoder):
         elif isinstance(obj, (date, datetime)):
             return str(obj)
         elif isinstance(obj, Decimal):
+              # XXX What to do about JSONEncoder crappy handling of Decimals?
+              # SimpleJSON has better Decimal encoding than the std lib
+              # but only in recent versions
             return float(obj)
         elif is_saobject(obj):
             props = {}
@@ -43,7 +52,7 @@ class GenericJSON(JSONEncoder):
             return dict(rows=list(obj), count=obj.rowcount)
         elif isinstance(obj, RowProxy):
             return dict(rows=dict(obj), count=1)
-        elif isinstance(obj, MultiDict):
+        elif isinstance(obj, (MultiDict, UnicodeMultiDict)):
             return obj.mixed()
         else:
             return JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)
@@ -63,6 +72,4 @@ _instance = GenericFunctionJSON()
     
 
 def encode(obj):
-    if isinstance(obj, basestring):
-        return _instance.encode(obj)
     return _instance.encode(obj)
diff --git a/tests/test_jsonify.py b/tests/test_jsonify.py
index 6d560e5..7173cf9 100644
--- a/tests/test_jsonify.py
+++ b/tests/test_jsonify.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-from pecan.jsonify  import jsonify, encode
-from pecan          import Pecan, expose
-from webtest        import TestApp
-from json           import loads
+from datetime           import datetime, date
+from decimal            import Decimal
+from json               import loads
+from unittest           import TestCase
 
+from pecan.jsonify      import jsonify, encode
+from pecan              import Pecan, expose, request
+from webtest            import TestApp
+from webob.multidict    import MultiDict, UnicodeMultiDict
 
 def make_person():
     class Person(object):
@@ -59,3 +63,43 @@ class TestJsonify(object):
         r = app.get('/')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert loads(r.body) == {'name':'Jonathan LaCour'}
+
+class TestJsonifyGenericEncoder(TestCase):
+    def test_json_callable(self):
+        class JsonCallable(object):
+            def __init__(self, arg):
+                self.arg = arg
+            def __json__(self):
+                return {"arg":self.arg}
+
+        result = encode(JsonCallable('foo'))
+        assert loads(result) == {'arg':'foo'}
+
+    def test_datetime(self):
+        today = date.today()
+        now = datetime.now()
+
+        result = encode(today)
+        assert loads(result) == str(today)
+
+        result = encode(now)
+        assert loads(result) == str(now)
+
+    def test_decimal(self):
+        # XXX Testing for float match which is inexact
+
+        d = Decimal('1.1')
+        result = encode(d)
+        assert loads(result) == float(d)
+
+    def test_multidict(self):
+        md = MultiDict()
+        md.add('arg', 'foo')
+        md.add('arg', 'bar')
+        result = encode(md)
+        assert loads(result) == {'arg': ['foo', 'bar']}
+
+    def test_fallback_to_builtin_encoder(self):
+        class Foo(object): pass
+
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, encode, Foo())