diff --git a/jedi/evaluate_representation.py b/jedi/evaluate_representation.py
index d0ea35dd..87627447 100644
--- a/jedi/evaluate_representation.py
+++ b/jedi/evaluate_representation.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from __future__ import with_statement
 import copy
 import itertools
 
-from jedi._compatibility import use_metaclass, next, hasattr
+from jedi._compatibility import use_metaclass, next, hasattr, unicode
 from jedi import parsing_representation as pr
 from jedi import cache
 from jedi import helpers
diff --git a/test/completion/basic.py b/test/completion/basic.py
index c475ed7a..610e9997 100644
--- a/test/completion/basic.py
+++ b/test/completion/basic.py
@@ -231,3 +231,11 @@ class A():
         self.hello = {}  # comment shouldn't be a string
 #? dict()
 A().hello
+
+# -----------------
+# unicode
+# -----------------
+
+a = 'smörbröd'
+#? str()
+a
diff --git a/test/run.py b/test/run.py
index abba24b7..e1b45ea3 100755
--- a/test/run.py
+++ b/test/run.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     sys.path.insert(0, '..')
 
 import jedi
-from jedi._compatibility import unicode, reduce, StringIO
+from jedi._compatibility import unicode, reduce, StringIO, is_py3k
 
 
 TEST_COMPLETIONS = 0
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ def collect_file_tests(lines, lines_to_execute):
     test_type = None
     for line_nr, line in enumerate(lines):
         line_nr += 1  # py2.5 doesn't know about the additional enumerate param
-        line = unicode(line)
+        if not is_py3k:
+            line = unicode(line, 'UTF-8')
         if correct:
             r = re.match('^(\d+)\s*(.*)$', correct)
             if r: