diff --git a/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_If.py b/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_If.py
index 4f007ff..ccf101d 100644
--- a/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_If.py
+++ b/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_If.py
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ class Unless(object):
     name = 'unless'
     blockContinuations = ()
 
-    def __init__(self, blocks):
+    def __init__(self, blocks, encoding=None):
+        self.encoding = encoding
         tname, args, section = blocks[0]
         args = parse_params(args, name='', expr='')
         name, expr = name_param(args, 'unless', 1)
diff --git a/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_Try.py b/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_Try.py
index 0e4b89f..3c169a4 100644
--- a/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_Try.py
+++ b/src/DocumentTemplate/DT_Try.py
@@ -90,11 +90,12 @@ class Try(object):
     finallyBlock = None
     elseBlock = None
 
-    def __init__(self, blocks):
+    def __init__(self, blocks, encoding=None):
         tname, args, section = blocks[0]
 
         self.args = parse_params(args)
         self.section = section.blocks
+        self.encoding = encoding
 
         # Find out if this is a try..finally type
         if len(blocks) == 2 and blocks[1][0] == 'finally':
diff --git a/src/DocumentTemplate/tests/testDTMLUnicode.py b/src/DocumentTemplate/tests/testDTMLUnicode.py
index e7df550..6945178 100644
--- a/src/DocumentTemplate/tests/testDTMLUnicode.py
+++ b/src/DocumentTemplate/tests/testDTMLUnicode.py
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ def make(*args):
     doc_class = property(_get_doc_class,)
 
     def _recode(self, string):
-        return string.decode("utf-8").encode(self.recode_to)
+        if isinstance(string, six.binary_type):
+            string = string.decode('UTF-8')
+        return string.encode(self.recode_to)
 
     def testAA(self):
         html = self.doc_class('<dtml-var a><dtml-var b>')