diff --git a/ckan/controllers/home.py b/ckan/controllers/home.py
index 869301d4572..be7d9b9ab1c 100644
--- a/ckan/controllers/home.py
+++ b/ckan/controllers/home.py
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ def index(self):
                     'https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id')
             if not c.userobj.email and (is_google_id and
                                         not c.userobj.fullname):
-                msg = _('Please <a href="{link}">update your profile</a>'
-                        ' and add your email address and your full name. '
-                        '{site} uses your email address'
-                        ' if you need to reset your password.'.format(link=url,
+                msg = _(u'Please <a href="{link}">update your profile</a>'
+                        u' and add your email address and your full name. '
+                        u'{site} uses your email address'
+                        u' if you need to reset your password.'.format(link=url,
                         site=g.site_title))
             elif not c.userobj.email:
                 msg = _('Please <a href="%s">update your profile</a>'
diff --git a/ckan/i18n/check_po_files.py b/ckan/i18n/check_po_files.py
index d9b3986be6b..a918087d232 100755
--- a/ckan/i18n/check_po_files.py
+++ b/ckan/i18n/check_po_files.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ def command(self):
         test_mapping_keys()
         test_replacement_fields()
         for path in self.args:
-            print 'Checking file {}'.format(path)
+            print u'Checking file {}'.format(path)
             po = polib.pofile(path)
             for entry in po.translated_entries():
                 for function in (simple_conv_specs, mapping_keys,
diff --git a/ckan/logic/action/create.py b/ckan/logic/action/create.py
index 0f53d241db9..c6cb5e1579b 100644
--- a/ckan/logic/action/create.py
+++ b/ckan/logic/action/create.py
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ def follow_user(context, data_dict):
     if not context.get('defer_commit'):
         model.repo.commit()
 
-    log.debug('User {follower} started following user {object}'.format(
+    log.debug(u'User {follower} started following user {object}'.format(
         follower=follower.follower_id, object=follower.object_id))
 
     return model_dictize.user_following_user_dictize(follower, context)
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ def follow_dataset(context, data_dict):
     if not context.get('defer_commit'):
         model.repo.commit()
 
-    log.debug('User {follower} started following dataset {object}'.format(
+    log.debug(u'User {follower} started following dataset {object}'.format(
         follower=follower.follower_id, object=follower.object_id))
 
     return model_dictize.user_following_dataset_dictize(follower, context)