diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/cursor.py b/gramps/gen/db/cursor.py
index 7a552e7d4..1e7daeeb5 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/cursor.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/cursor.py
@@ -111,7 +111,11 @@ class BsddbBaseCursor(object):
                         _flags | flags | (db.DB_RMW if self._update else 0),
                         **kwargs)
 
-            return (data[0], loads(data[1])) if data else None
+            try:
+                return (data[0], loads(data[1])) if data else None
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                #we need to assume we opened data in python3 saved in python2
+                return (data[0], loads(data[1], encoding='utf-8')) if data else None
 
         return get
 
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/read.py b/gramps/gen/db/read.py
index c96349d6f..c8aab4abd 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/read.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/read.py
@@ -1536,6 +1536,10 @@ class DbBsddbRead(DbReadBase, Callback):
             handle = handle.encode('utf-8')
         try:
             return table.get(handle, txn=self.txn)
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            #we need to assume we opened data in python3 saved in python2
+            raw = table.db.get(handle, txn=self.txn)
+            return pickle.loads(raw, encoding='utf-8')
         except DBERRS as msg:
             self.__log_error()
             raise DbError(msg)
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/write.py b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
index 642ba118b..f502b4cee 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/write.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
@@ -648,7 +648,13 @@ class DbBsddb(DbBsddbRead, DbWriteBase, UpdateCallback):
             pass
         
         # bookmarks
-        meta = lambda meta: self.metadata.get(meta, default=[])
+        def meta(key):
+            try:
+                return self.metadata.get(key, default=[])
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                #we need to assume we opened data in python3 saved in python2
+                raw = self.metadata.db.get(key, default=[])
+                return pickle.loads(raw, encoding='utf-8') if raw else raw
         
         self.bookmarks.set(meta(b'bookmarks'))
         self.family_bookmarks.set(meta(b'family_bookmarks'))
@@ -1800,6 +1806,10 @@ class DbBsddb(DbBsddbRead, DbWriteBase, UpdateCallback):
             handle = handle.encode('utf-8')
         try:
             data = data_map.get(handle, txn=self.txn)
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            #we need to assume we opened data in python3 saved in python2
+            raw = data_map.db.get(handle, txn=self.txn)
+            data = pickle.loads(raw, encoding='utf-8')
         except:
             data = None
             # under certain circumstances during a database reload,