diff --git a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
index 12889815f..cfbde0c47 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ class CLIDbManager(object):
         """
         try:
             filepath = conv_to_unicode(filepath, 'utf8')
+            new_text = conv_to_unicode(new_text, 'utf8')
             name_file = io.open(filepath, "r", encoding='utf8')
             old_text=name_file.read()
             name_file.close()
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/write.py b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
index 5fe60bc8b..24001b64b 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/write.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
@@ -1305,9 +1305,9 @@ class DbBsddb(DbBsddbRead, DbWriteBase, UpdateCallback):
                                         'which is partly bytecode, this is not allowed.\n'
                                         'Key is %s') % str(key))
             if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
-                key= str(tuple(k for k in key))
+                key= str(key)
             else:
-                key = str(tuple(k.decode('utf-8') for k in key))
+                key = str(tuple(str(k) for k in key))
         if isinstance(key, UNITYPE):
             key = key.encode('utf-8')
         if not self.readonly: