diff --git a/bumblebee/modules/datetime.py b/bumblebee/modules/datetime.py
index 74fae8b..a8842c6 100644
--- a/bumblebee/modules/datetime.py
+++ b/bumblebee/modules/datetime.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Module(bumblebee.engine.Module):
         locale.setlocale(locale.LC_TIME, lcl.split("."))
 
     def get_time(self, widget):
-        return datetime.datetime.now().strftime(self._fmt)
+        enc = locale.getpreferredencoding()
+        return datetime.datetime.now().strftime(self._fmt).decode(enc)
 
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