diff --git a/django/utils/feedgenerator.py b/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
index 3e0826c968859..23400bb8e7b18 100644
--- a/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
+++ b/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def __init__(self, title, link, description, language=None, author_email=None,
             'title': to_unicode(title),
             'link': iri_to_uri(link),
             'description': to_unicode(description),
-            'language': force_unicode(language),
+            'language': to_unicode(language),
             'author_email': to_unicode(author_email),
             'author_name': to_unicode(author_name),
             'author_link': iri_to_uri(author_link),