diff --git a/src/class_objectProcessor.py b/src/class_objectProcessor.py
index 3b555257..a260df76 100644
--- a/src/class_objectProcessor.py
+++ b/src/class_objectProcessor.py
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ class objectProcessor(threading.Thread):
             logger.info('ackdata checksum wrong. Not sending ackdata.')
             return False
         command = command.rstrip(b'\x00')
-        if command != 'object':
+        if command != b'object':
             return False
         return True
 
diff --git a/src/helper_msgcoding.py b/src/helper_msgcoding.py
index 62214525..bddb535c 100644
--- a/src/helper_msgcoding.py
+++ b/src/helper_msgcoding.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 Message encoding end decoding functions
 """
 
-import string
 import zlib
 
 import messagetypes
@@ -100,14 +99,14 @@ class MsgDecode(object):
     def decodeExtended(self, data):
         """Handle extended encoding"""
         dc = zlib.decompressobj()
-        tmp = ""
+        tmp = b""
         while len(tmp) <= config.safeGetInt("zlib", "maxsize"):
             try:
                 got = dc.decompress(
                     data, config.safeGetInt("zlib", "maxsize")
                     + 1 - len(tmp))
                 # EOF
-                if got == "":
+                if got == b"":
                     break
                 tmp += got
                 data = dc.unconsumed_tail
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ class MsgDecode(object):
 
     def decodeSimple(self, data):
         """Handle simple encoding"""
-        bodyPositionIndex = string.find(data, '\nBody:')
+        bodyPositionIndex = data.find(b'\nBody:')
         if bodyPositionIndex > 1:
             subject = data[8:bodyPositionIndex]
             # Only save and show the first 500 characters of the subject.
@@ -151,10 +150,10 @@ class MsgDecode(object):
             subject = subject[:500]
             body = data[bodyPositionIndex + 6:]
         else:
-            subject = ''
+            subject = b''
             body = data
         # Throw away any extra lines (headers) after the subject.
         if subject:
             subject = subject.splitlines()[0]
-        self.subject = subject
-        self.body = body
+        self.subject = subject.decode("utf-8", "replace")
+        self.body = body.decode("utf-8", "replace")