diff --git a/ckanext/example_ivalidators/plugin.py b/ckanext/example_ivalidators/plugin.py
index 7d559b5c2ef..8597b04c511 100644
--- a/ckanext/example_ivalidators/plugin.py
+++ b/ckanext/example_ivalidators/plugin.py
@@ -9,16 +9,26 @@ class ExampleIValidatorsPlugin(plugins.SingletonPlugin):
 
     def get_validators(self):
         return {
-            'equals_fortytwo': equals_fortytwo,
-            'negate': negate,
+            u'equals_fortytwo': equals_fortytwo,
+            u'negate': negate,
+            u'unicode_only': unicode_please,
             }
 
 
 def equals_fortytwo(value):
     if value != 42:
-        raise Invalid('not 42')
+        raise Invalid(u'not 42')
     return value
 
 
 def negate(value):
     return -value
+
+
+def unicode_please(value):
+    if isinstance(value, bytes):
+        try:
+            return value.decode(u'utf8')
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            return value.decode(u'cp1252')
+    return unicode(value)
diff --git a/ckanext/example_ivalidators/tests/test_ivalidators.py b/ckanext/example_ivalidators/tests/test_ivalidators.py
index ca8d292397f..3d41161288a 100644
--- a/ckanext/example_ivalidators/tests/test_ivalidators.py
+++ b/ckanext/example_ivalidators/tests/test_ivalidators.py
@@ -27,3 +27,13 @@ def test_custom_validator_passes(self):
     def test_custom_converter_converts(self):
         c = get_validator('negate')
         assert_equals(c(19), -19)
+
+    def test_overridden_validator(self):
+        v = get_validator('unicode_only')
+        assert_equals(u'Hola cómo estás', v(b'Hola c\xf3mo est\xe1s'))
+
+
+class TestNoIValidators(object):
+    def test_no_overridden_validator(self):
+        v = get_validator('unicode_only')
+        assert_raises(Invalid, v, b'Hola c\xf3mo est\xe1s')