diff --git a/ckan/config/middleware.py b/ckan/config/middleware.py
index 026cf02722f..15c092877e2 100644
--- a/ckan/config/middleware.py
+++ b/ckan/config/middleware.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Pylons middleware initialization"""
+import urllib
 import logging 
 
 from beaker.middleware import CacheMiddleware, SessionMiddleware
@@ -177,7 +178,13 @@ def __call__(self, environ, start_response):
 
             # Current application url
             path_info = environ['PATH_INFO']
+            # sort out weird encodings
+            path_info = '/'.join(urllib.quote(pce,'') for pce in path_info.split('/'))
+
             qs = environ.get('QUERY_STRING')
+            # sort out weird encodings
+            qs = urllib.quote(qs, '')
+
             if qs:
                 environ['CKAN_CURRENT_URL'] = '%s?%s' % (path_info, qs)
             else:
diff --git a/ckan/templates/layout_base.html b/ckan/templates/layout_base.html
index 5039871d970..22ea24cd58b 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/layout_base.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/layout_base.html
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ <h3 class="widget-title">Languages</h3>
           <div class="textwidget">
             <ul>
 <?python
-  current_url = request.environ['CKAN_CURRENT_URL'].encode('utf-8')
+  current_url = request.environ['CKAN_CURRENT_URL']
 ?>
               <li py:for="locale in h.get_available_locales()">
               <a href="${h.url(current_url, locale=str(locale))}">