diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 3fe0da62..f682068e 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -372,23 +372,23 @@ class MyForm(QtGui.QMainWindow):
             elif status == 'msgqueued':
                 statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Queued.")
             elif status == 'msgsent':
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Message sent. Waiting on acknowledgement. Sent at %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(lastactiontime))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Message sent. Waiting on acknowledgement. Sent at %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(lastactiontime)),'utf-8)'))
             elif status == 'doingmsgpow':
                 statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Need to do work to send message. Work is queued.")
             elif status == 'ackreceived':
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Acknowledgement of the message received %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime)))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Acknowledgement of the message received %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime))),'utf-8)'))
             elif status == 'broadcastqueued':
                 statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Broadcast queued.")
             elif status == 'broadcastsent':
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Broadcast on %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime)))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Broadcast on %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime))),'utf-8'))
             elif status == 'toodifficult':
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Problem: The work demanded by the recipient is more difficult than you are willing to do. %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime)))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Problem: The work demanded by the recipient is more difficult than you are willing to do. %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime))),'utf-8'))
             elif status == 'badkey':
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Problem: The recipient\'s encryption key is no good. Could not encrypt message. %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime)))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Problem: The recipient\'s encryption key is no good. Could not encrypt message. %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime))),'utf-8'))
             elif status == 'forcepow':
                 statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Forced difficulty override. Send should start soon.")
             else:
-                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("Unknown status: %1 %2").arg(status).arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime)))))
+                statusText = QtGui.QApplication.translate("Unknown status: %1 %2").arg(status).arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(lastactiontime))),'utf-8'))
             newItem =  myTableWidgetItem(statusText)
             newItem.setToolTip(statusText)
             newItem.setData(Qt.UserRole,QByteArray(ackdata))
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ class MyForm(QtGui.QMainWindow):
         #self.ui.pushButtonStatusIcon.setIcon(QIcon(":/newPrefix/images/yellowicon.png"))
         self.statusbar = self.statusBar()
         self.statusbar.insertPermanentWidget(0,self.ui.pushButtonStatusIcon)
-        self.ui.labelStartupTime.setText(QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Since startup on %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(time.time()))))))
+        self.ui.labelStartupTime.setText(QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Since startup on %1").arg(unicode(strftime(shared.config.get('bitmessagesettings', 'timeformat'),localtime(int(time.time()))),'utf-8)')))
         self.numberOfMessagesProcessed = 0
         self.numberOfBroadcastsProcessed = 0
         self.numberOfPubkeysProcessed = 0
diff --git a/src/defaultKnownNodes.py b/src/defaultKnownNodes.py
index a6009457..3b86ade9 100644
--- a/src/defaultKnownNodes.py
+++ b/src/defaultKnownNodes.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def readDefaultKnownNodes(appdata):
     for stream, storedValue in knownNodes.items():
         for host,value in storedValue.items():
             port, storedtime = storedValue[host]
-            print host, '\t', port, '\t', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(storedtime)))
+            print host, '\t', port, '\t', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(storedtime)),'utf-8')
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
 
diff --git a/src/messages.dat reader.py b/src/messages.dat reader.py
index b5ade9ff..2ca65828 100644
--- a/src/messages.dat reader.py	
+++ b/src/messages.dat reader.py	
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def readPubkeys():
     output = cur.fetchall()
     for row in output:
         hash, havecorrectnonce, transmitdata, time, usedpersonally = row
-        print 'Hash:', hash.encode('hex'), '\tHave correct nonce:', havecorrectnonce, '\tTime first broadcast:', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(time))), '\tUsed by me personally:', usedpersonally, '\tFull pubkey message:', transmitdata.encode('hex')
+        print 'Hash:', hash.encode('hex'), '\tHave correct nonce:', havecorrectnonce, '\tTime first broadcast:', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(time)),'utf-8'), '\tUsed by me personally:', usedpersonally, '\tFull pubkey message:', transmitdata.encode('hex')
 
 def readInventory():
     print 'Printing everything in inventory table:'
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def readInventory():
     output = cur.fetchall()
     for row in output:
         hash, objecttype, streamnumber, payload, receivedtime = row
-        print 'Hash:', hash.encode('hex'), objecttype, streamnumber, '\t', payload.encode('hex'), '\t', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(receivedtime)))
+        print 'Hash:', hash.encode('hex'), objecttype, streamnumber, '\t', payload.encode('hex'), '\t', unicode(strftime('%a, %d %b %Y  %I:%M %p',localtime(receivedtime)),'utf-8')
 
 
 def takeInboxMessagesOutOfTrash():