diff --git a/gluon/http.py b/gluon/http.py
index ac630cc6..c56e2dc3 100644
--- a/gluon/http.py
+++ b/gluon/http.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ HTTP statuses helpers
 """
 
 import re
-from gluon._compat import iteritems
+from gluon._compat import iteritems, unicodeT
 
 __all__ = ['HTTP', 'redirect']
 
@@ -119,9 +119,12 @@ class HTTP(Exception):
             elif v is not None:
                 rheaders.append((k, str(v)))
         responder(status, rheaders)
+        print(type(body))
         if env.get('request_method', '') == 'HEAD':
             return ['']
         elif isinstance(body, (str, bytes, bytearray)):
+            if isinstance(body, unicodeT):
+                body = body.encode('utf-8')
             return [body]
         elif hasattr(body, '__iter__'):
             return body
diff --git a/gluon/tests/test_fileutils.py b/gluon/tests/test_fileutils.py
index a09f5704..a4a25ee0 100644
--- a/gluon/tests/test_fileutils.py
+++ b/gluon/tests/test_fileutils.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 import unittest
 import datetime
 
-from gluon.fileutils import parse_version, fix_newlines, listdir
+from gluon.fileutils import parse_version, fix_newlines
 
 
 class TestFileUtils(unittest.TestCase):