diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
index 20dc8ddec..6547fbfca 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ def truncate_to_length(item, length):
 
 class Metadata(Loggable):
     def __init__(self, fpath):
+        # Forcing the unicode through
+        try: fpath = fpath.decode("utf-8")
+        except: pass
         try: full_mutagen  = mutagen.File(fpath, easy=True)
         except Exception: raise BadSongFile(fpath)
         self.path = fpath
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
index 7ae6d1392..a621e5458 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def no_extension_basename(path):
     >>> no_extension_basename('blah.ml')
     'blah'
     """
-    base = os.path.basename(path)
+    base = unicode(os.path.basename(path))
     if extension(base) == "": return base
     else: return base.split(".")[-2]
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def normalized_metadata(md, original_path):
         hour,minute,second,name = md['MDATA_KEY_TITLE'].split("-",4)
         # We assume that MDATA_KEY_YEAR is always given for airtime recorded
         # shows
-        new_md['MDATA_KEY_TITLE'] = '%s-%s-%s:%s:%s' % \
+        new_md['MDATA_KEY_TITLE'] = u'%s-%s-%s:%s:%s' % \
             (name, new_md['MDATA_KEY_YEAR'], hour, minute, second)
         # IMPORTANT: in the original code. MDATA_KEY_FILEPATH would also
         # be set to the original path of the file for airtime recorded shows
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_metadata.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_metadata.py
index c01d37a79..63babe5f0 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_metadata.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from media.monitor.metadata import Metadata
 
 class TestMetadata(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        self.music_folder = '/home/rudi/music'
+        self.music_folder = u'/home/rudi/music'
 
     def test_got_music_folder(self):
         t = os.path.exists(self.music_folder)
@@ -20,13 +20,18 @@ class TestMetadata(unittest.TestCase):
         i = 0
         for full_path in full_paths:
             if os.path.isfile(full_path):
-                md = Metadata(full_path).extract()
+                md_full = Metadata(full_path)
+                md = md_full.extract()
                 if i < 3:
                     i += 1
                     print("Sample metadata: '%s'" % md)
                 self.assertTrue( len( md.keys() ) > 0 )
                 self.assertTrue( 'MDATA_KEY_MD5' in md )
+                utf8 = md_full.utf8()
+                for k,v in md.iteritems():
+                    if hasattr(utf8[k], 'decode'):
+                        self.assertEqual( utf8[k].decode('utf-8'), md[k] )
             else:
-                print("Skipping '%s'" % full_path)
+                print("Skipping '%s' because it's a directory" % full_path)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__': unittest.main()