diff --git a/h5py/_errors.pyx b/h5py/_errors.pyx
index d0cfa7a25..ef2614ded 100644
--- a/h5py/_errors.pyx
+++ b/h5py/_errors.pyx
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 
 # Python-style minor error classes.  If the minor error code matches an entry
 # in this dict, the generated exception will be used.
+
+from ._hl.compat import filename_encode, filename_decode
+
 _minor_table = {
     H5E_SEEKERROR:      IOError,    # Seek failed 
     H5E_READERROR:      IOError,    # Read failed  
@@ -120,7 +123,10 @@ cdef int set_exception() except -1:
     if desc_bottom is NULL:
         raise RuntimeError("Failed to extract bottom-level error description")
 
-    msg = ("%s (%s)" % (desc.decode('utf-8').capitalize(), desc_bottom.decode('utf-8'))).encode('utf-8')
+    msg = filename_encode(u"{} ({})".format(
+        filename_decode(desc).capitalize(),
+        filename_decode(desc_bottom)
+    ))
 
     # Finally, set the exception.  We do this with the Python C function
     # so that the traceback doesn't point here.
diff --git a/h5py/tests/old/test_file.py b/h5py/tests/old/test_file.py
index bb8fad27e..39f7e9361 100644
--- a/h5py/tests/old/test_file.py
+++ b/h5py/tests/old/test_file.py
@@ -431,6 +431,16 @@ def test_unicode_hdf5_python_consistent(self):
         with File(fname, 'w') as f:
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(fname))
 
+    def test_nonexistent_file_unicode(self):
+        """
+        Modes 'r' and 'r+' do not create files even when given unicode names
+        """
+        fname = self.mktemp(prefix = six.unichr(0x201a))
+        with self.assertRaises(IOError):
+            File(fname, 'r')
+        with self.assertRaises(IOError):
+            File(fname, 'r+')
+
 
 class TestFileProperty(TestCase):