diff --git a/qiita_ware/dispatchable.py b/qiita_ware/dispatchable.py
index 3780415ae..5a5d21484 100644
--- a/qiita_ware/dispatchable.py
+++ b/qiita_ware/dispatchable.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def create_sample_template(fp, study, is_mapping_file, data_type=None):
         status = 'danger'
         msg = str(e)
 
-    return {'status': status, 'message': msg}
+    return {'status': status, 'message': msg.decode('utf-8', 'replace')}
 
 
 def update_sample_template(study_id, fp):
diff --git a/qiita_ware/test/test_data/sample_info_utf8_error.txt b/qiita_ware/test/test_data/sample_info_utf8_error.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c0f03553
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qiita_ware/test/test_data/sample_info_utf8_error.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Sample_name	RUN_PREFIX	TITLE	nucleic_acid	sample_type	 geo_loc_name	COLLECTION_TIME	description	dna_extracted	host_subject_id	latitude	longitude	physical_specimen_remaining	 collection_timestamp	physical_specimen_location	scientific_name	taxon_id
+sample1	341F-785R-Mineview-1-H4-A689_joined-SR	dna	bathing water	Finland:Narpio	15.6.2015	mid june dna	TRUE	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	TRUE	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
diff --git a/qiita_ware/test/test_dispatchable.py b/qiita_ware/test/test_dispatchable.py
index e35ff5a2a..ead09f2f3 100644
--- a/qiita_ware/test/test_dispatchable.py
+++ b/qiita_ware/test/test_dispatchable.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from unittest import TestCase, main
 from tempfile import mkstemp
 from os import close, remove
-from os.path import exists
+from os.path import exists, join, dirname, abspath
 
 from qiita_core.util import qiita_test_checker
 from qiita_ware.dispatchable import (
@@ -74,6 +74,15 @@ def test_create_sample_template(self):
                           "(id: 1) already exists."}
         self.assertEqual(obs, exp)
 
+    def test_create_sample_template_nonutf8(self):
+        fp = join(dirname(abspath(__file__)), 'test_data',
+                  'sample_info_utf8_error.txt')
+        obs = create_sample_template(fp, Study(1), False)
+        exp = {'status': 'danger',
+               'message': u"Non UTF-8 characters found in columns:"
+                          u"\n\ufffdcollection_timestamp: row(s) 1"}
+        self.assertEqual(obs, exp)
+
     def test_update_sample_template(self):
         obs = update_sample_template(1, self.fp)
         exp = {'status': 'warning',