diff --git a/mandayejs/mandaye/models.py b/mandayejs/mandaye/models.py
index 1a79788..37a30de 100644
--- a/mandayejs/mandaye/models.py
+++ b/mandayejs/mandaye/models.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from Crypto import Random
 from django.db import models
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes
+from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_text
 
 from jsonfield import JSONField
 
@@ -58,10 +58,11 @@ class UserCredentials(models.Model):
         password_field_name = get_password_field()
         iv = Random.get_random_bytes(16)
         cipher = self._get_cipher(iv)
-        password = self.locators.get(password_field_name, '').encode('utf-8')
+        password = force_bytes(self.locators.get(password_field_name, ''))
         crypted = cipher.encrypt(password)
-        self.locators[password_field_name] = '%s$%s' % (base64.b64encode(iv),
-                                                        base64.b64encode(crypted))
+        self.locators[password_field_name] = '%s$%s' % (
+                force_text(base64.b64encode(iv)),
+                force_text(base64.b64encode(crypted)))
         return self.locators
 
     def decrypt(self,):