diff --git a/src/callbacks.py b/src/callbacks.py
index a1d4a26..484af3c 100644
--- a/src/callbacks.py
+++ b/src/callbacks.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def friend_request(tox, public_key, message, message_size, user_data):
     key = ''.join(chr(x) for x in public_key[:TOX_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE])
     tox_id = bin_to_string(key, TOX_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE)
     if tox_id not in Settings.get_instance()['blocked']:
-        invoke_in_main_thread(profile.process_friend_request, tox_id, message)
+        invoke_in_main_thread(profile.process_friend_request, tox_id, str(message, 'utf-8'))
 
 
 def friend_typing(tox, friend_number, typing, user_data):
diff --git a/src/file_transfers.py b/src/file_transfers.py
index fb64605..2c1f73e 100644
--- a/src/file_transfers.py
+++ b/src/file_transfers.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class SendTransfer(FileTransfer):
         super(SendTransfer, self).__init__(path, tox, friend_number, size)
         self.state = TOX_FILE_TRANSFER_STATE['OUTGOING_NOT_STARTED']
         self._file_number = tox.file_send(friend_number, kind, size, file_id,
-                                          bytes(basename(path), 'utf-8') if path else '')
+                                          bytes(basename(path), 'utf-8') if path else b'')
 
     def send_chunk(self, position, size):
         """
diff --git a/src/loginscreen.py b/src/loginscreen.py
index ed0d22a..df51c5b 100644
--- a/src/loginscreen.py
+++ b/src/loginscreen.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class LoginScreen(CenteredWidget):
 
     def create_profile(self):
         self.type = 1
-        self.name = self.new_name.toPlainText()
+        self.name = self.new_name.text()
         self.close()
 
     def load_ex_profile(self):
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 7b725cf..297e8c4 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ from profile import tox_factory
 from callbacks import init_callbacks
 from util import curr_directory
 import styles.style
-import locale
 import toxencryptsave
 from passwordscreen import PasswordScreen
 import profile
@@ -62,8 +61,8 @@ class Toxygen:
         encrypt_save = toxencryptsave.LibToxEncryptSave()
 
         if self.path is not None:
-            path = os.path.dirname(self.path.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding())) + '/'
-            name = os.path.basename(self.path.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding()))[:-4]
+            path = os.path.dirname(self.path) + '/'
+            name = os.path.basename(self.path)[:-4]
             data = ProfileHelper(path, name).open_profile()
             if encrypt_save.is_data_encrypted(data):
                 data = self.enter_pass(data)
@@ -94,10 +93,11 @@ class Toxygen:
                 if not _login.t:
                     return
                 elif _login.t == 1:  # create new profile
+                    _login.name = _login.name.strip()
                     name = _login.name if _login.name else 'toxygen_user'
                     self.tox = tox_factory()
-                    self.tox.self_set_name(_login.name if _login.name else 'Toxygen User')
-                    self.tox.self_set_status_message('Toxing on Toxygen')
+                    self.tox.self_set_name(bytes(_login.name, 'utf-8') if _login.name else b'Toxygen User')
+                    self.tox.self_set_status_message(b'Toxing on Toxygen')
                     ProfileHelper(Settings.get_default_path(), name).save_profile(self.tox.get_savedata())
                     path = Settings.get_default_path()
                     settings = Settings(name)
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ class Toxygen:
                     self.tox = tox_factory(data, settings)
             else:
                 path, name = auto_profile
-                path = path.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding())
                 data = ProfileHelper(path, name).open_profile()
                 if encrypt_save.is_data_encrypted(data):
                     data = self.enter_pass(data)
diff --git a/src/tox_dns.py b/src/tox_dns.py
index 2f13551..914c827 100644
--- a/src/tox_dns.py
+++ b/src/tox_dns.py
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ def tox_dns(email):
 def send_request(url, data):
     req = urllib.request.Request(url)
     req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
-    response = urllib.request.urlopen(req, json.dumps(data))
-    res = json.loads(response.read())
+    response = urllib.request.urlopen(req, bytes(json.dumps(data), 'utf-8'))
+    res = json.loads(str(response.read(), 'utf-8'))
     if not res['c']:
         return res['tox_id']
     else: