diff --git a/cloudinit/sources/DataSourceLXD.py b/cloudinit/sources/DataSourceLXD.py
index 79e203b8924..27c2ac1d590 100644
--- a/cloudinit/sources/DataSourceLXD.py
+++ b/cloudinit/sources/DataSourceLXD.py
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ def _get_json_response(
             "Skipping %s on [HTTP:%d]:%s",
             url,
             url_response.status_code,
-            url_response.text,
+            url_response.content.decode("utf-8"),
         )
         return {}
     try:
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ def _get_json_response(
         raise sources.InvalidMetaDataException(
             "Unable to process LXD config at {url}."
             " Expected JSON but found: {resp}".format(
-                url=url, resp=url_response.text
+                url=url, resp=url_response.content.decode("utf-8")
             )
         ) from exc
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ def _do_request(
             "Invalid HTTP response [{code}] from {route}: {resp}".format(
                 code=response.status_code,
                 route=url,
-                resp=response.text,
+                resp=response.content.decode("utf-8"),
             )
         )
     return response
@@ -364,12 +364,13 @@ def _process_config(self, session: requests.Session) -> dict:
             config_route_response = _do_request(
                 session, config_route_url, do_raise=False
             )
+            response_text = config_route_response.content.decode("utf-8")
             if not config_route_response.ok:
                 LOG.debug(
                     "Skipping %s on [HTTP:%d]:%s",
                     config_route_url,
                     config_route_response.status_code,
-                    config_route_response.text,
+                    response_text,
                 )
                 continue
 
@@ -377,16 +378,14 @@ def _process_config(self, session: requests.Session) -> dict:
             # Leave raw data values/format unchanged to represent it in
             # instance-data.json for cloud-init query or jinja template
             # use.
-            config["config"][cfg_key] = config_route_response.text
+            config["config"][cfg_key] = response_text
             # Promote common CONFIG_KEY_ALIASES to top-level keys.
             if cfg_key in CONFIG_KEY_ALIASES:
                 # Due to sort of config_routes, promote cloud-init.*
                 # aliases before user.*. This allows user.* keys to act as
                 # fallback config on old LXD, with new cloud-init images.
                 if CONFIG_KEY_ALIASES[cfg_key] not in config:
-                    config[
-                        CONFIG_KEY_ALIASES[cfg_key]
-                    ] = config_route_response.text
+                    config[CONFIG_KEY_ALIASES[cfg_key]] = response_text
                 else:
                     LOG.warning(
                         "Ignoring LXD config %s in favor of %s value.",
@@ -404,7 +403,9 @@ def __call__(self, *, metadata_keys: MetaDataKeys) -> dict:
                 md_route = url_helper.combine_url(
                     self._version_url, "meta-data"
                 )
-                md["meta-data"] = _do_request(session, md_route).text
+                md["meta-data"] = _do_request(
+                    session, md_route
+                ).content.decode("utf-8")
             if MetaDataKeys.CONFIG in metadata_keys:
                 md.update(self._process_config(session))
             if MetaDataKeys.DEVICES in metadata_keys:
diff --git a/tests/integration_tests/modules/test_combined.py b/tests/integration_tests/modules/test_combined.py
index 8e7ec3c7f5b..8a73e7e8623 100644
--- a/tests/integration_tests/modules/test_combined.py
+++ b/tests/integration_tests/modules/test_combined.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
     me: "127.0.0.1"
 runcmd:
   - echo 'hello world' > /var/tmp/runcmd_output
+  - echo '💩' > /var/tmp/unicode_data
 
   - #
   - logger "My test log"
@@ -506,6 +507,10 @@ def test_instance_cloud_id_across_reboot(
         assert client.execute(f"test -f /run/cloud-init/{cloud_file}").ok
         assert client.execute("test -f /run/cloud-init/cloud-id").ok
 
+    def test_unicode(self, class_client: IntegrationInstance):
+        client = class_client
+        assert "💩" == client.read_from_file("/var/tmp/unicode_data")
+
 
 @pytest.mark.user_data(USER_DATA)
 class TestCombinedNoCI:
diff --git a/tests/unittests/sources/test_lxd.py b/tests/unittests/sources/test_lxd.py
index 7ec67b4577d..b71234567b7 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/sources/test_lxd.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/sources/test_lxd.py
@@ -650,8 +650,10 @@ def fake_get(url):
                 mock_status_code = mock.PropertyMock(return_value=404)
             type(m_resp).ok = mock_ok
             type(m_resp).status_code = mock_status_code
-            mock_text = mock.PropertyMock(return_value=content)
-            type(m_resp).text = mock_text
+            mock_content = mock.PropertyMock(
+                return_value=content.encode("utf-8")
+            )
+            type(m_resp).content = mock_content
             return m_resp
 
         m_session_get.side_effect = fake_get