diff --git a/resources/lib/clientinfo.py b/resources/lib/clientinfo.py
index 44ed98f2..94f7d207 100644
--- a/resources/lib/clientinfo.py
+++ b/resources/lib/clientinfo.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class ClientInfo():
 
         if utils.settings('deviceNameOpt') == "false":
             # Use Kodi's deviceName
-            deviceName = xbmc.getInfoLabel('System.FriendlyName').decode('utf-8')
+            deviceName = xbmc.getInfoLabel('System.FriendlyName')
         else:
             deviceName = utils.settings('deviceName')
             deviceName = deviceName.replace("\"", "_")
diff --git a/resources/lib/downloadutils.py b/resources/lib/downloadutils.py
index 578c932c..e68d1951 100644
--- a/resources/lib/downloadutils.py
+++ b/resources/lib/downloadutils.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class DownloadUtils():
             # If user is not authenticated
             auth = (
                 'MediaBrowser Client="Kodi", Device="%s", DeviceId="%s", Version="%s"'
-                % (deviceName, deviceId, version))
+                % (deviceName, deviceId.encode('utf-8'), version.encode('utf-8')))
             header = {
 
                 'Content-type': 'application/json',
@@ -205,7 +205,8 @@ class DownloadUtils():
             # Attached to the requests session
             auth = (
                 'MediaBrowser UserId="%s", Client="Kodi", Device="%s", DeviceId="%s", Version="%s"'
-                % (userId, deviceName, deviceId, version))
+                % (userId.encode('utf-8'), deviceName, deviceId.encode('utf-8'),
+                    version.encode('utf-8')))
             header = {
 
                 'Content-type': 'application/json',
@@ -274,7 +275,6 @@ class DownloadUtils():
                                         verify=verifyssl)
 
                     elif type == "POST":
-                        print url
                         r = requests.post(url,
                                         json=postBody,
                                         headers=header,