diff --git a/rhn-client-tools.spec b/rhn-client-tools.spec
index 1d9e477..9dafedf 100644
--- a/rhn-client-tools.spec
+++ b/rhn-client-tools.spec
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 Summary: Support programs and libraries for Red Hat Satellite or Spacewalk
 Name: rhn-client-tools
 Version: 2.8.16
-Release: 11%{?dist}
+Release: 12%{?dist}
 License: GPLv2
 Source0: https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk/archive/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
 URL:     https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk
@@ -689,6 +689,9 @@ make -f Makefile.rhn-client-tools test
 %endif
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Feb 04 2019 Michael Mraka <michael.mraka@redhat.com> 2.8.16-12
+- Resolves: #1666099 - python3 is picky about bytes and string
+
 * Tue Nov 06 2018 Michael Mraka <michael.mraka@redhat.com> 2.8.16-11
 - Resolves: #1646929 - convert values from bytes to string in py3
 
diff --git a/src/up2date_client/config.py b/src/up2date_client/config.py
index 077312f..79d70be 100644
--- a/src/up2date_client/config.py
+++ b/src/up2date_client/config.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class ConfigFile:
                 # possibly split value into a list
                 values = value.split(";")
                 if key in ['proxyUser', 'proxyPassword']:
-                    value = str(value.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding()))
+                    value = sstr(value.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding()))
                 elif len(values) == 1:
                     try:
                         value = int(value)