diff --git a/pisi/cli/commands.py b/pisi/cli/commands.py
index 81e5d1f8..46db7c79 100644
--- a/pisi/cli/commands.py
+++ b/pisi/cli/commands.py
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ Usage: info <package1> <package2> ... <packagen>
         import os.path
 
         metadata, files = pisi.api.info(arg)
-        ctx.ui.info(str(metadata.package))
+        ctx.ui.info(unicode(metadata.package))
         if self.options.files or self.options.files_path:
             if files:
                 ctx.ui.info(_('\nFiles:'))
diff --git a/pisi/specfile.py b/pisi/specfile.py
index 3836bba0..4edbd5c6 100644
--- a/pisi/specfile.py
+++ b/pisi/specfile.py
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ class PackageInfo:
               self.name, self.version, self.release, self.build)
         s += _('\nSummary: ') + self.summary
         s += _('\nDescription: ') + self.description
-        s += _('\nComponent: ') + str(self.partof)
+        s += _('\nComponent: ') + unicode(self.partof)
         s += _('\nProvides: ')
         for x in self.providesComar:
            s += x.om
diff --git a/pisi/xmlfile.py b/pisi/xmlfile.py
index 0cb07417..9ea8b590 100644
--- a/pisi/xmlfile.py
+++ b/pisi/xmlfile.py
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ class autoxml(type):
         def encode(xml, node, value, errs):
             """encode given value inside DOM node"""
             if value:
+                #FIXME: unicode() here?
                 writetext(xml, node, token, str(value))
             else:
                 if req == mandatory:
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ class autoxml(type):
 
         def format(value, errs):
             """format value for pretty printing"""
-            return str(value)
+            return unicode(value)
 
         return initialize, decode, encode, format
 
diff --git a/tools/repostats.py b/tools/repostats.py
index 642e604c..039d77bd 100755
--- a/tools/repostats.py
+++ b/tools/repostats.py
@@ -151,12 +151,14 @@ valid_filetypes = [
 ]
 
 def printu(obj):
-    if isinstance(obj, unicode):
+    """smart print command which handles unicode strings and objects which
+    return unicode __str__'s, a common case in our implementation"""
+    if isinstance(obj, str):
+        print obj
+    elif isinstance(obj, unicode):
         print obj.encode('utf-8')
-    elif isinstance(obj, str):
-        print obj.decode('utf-8')
     else:
-        print str(obj)
+        print unicode(obj).encode('utf-8') # this is printu!
 
 def valuesort(x, y):
     if x[1] > y[1]: