@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     string_types,
     FileType,
     defenc,
+    force_text,
     with_metaclass,
     PY3
 )
@@ -412,7 +413,7 @@ def write_section(name, section_dict):
             fp.write(("[%s]\n" % name).encode(defenc))
             for (key, value) in section_dict.items():
                 if key != "__name__":
-                    fp.write(("\t%s = %s\n" % (key, str(value).replace('\n', '\n\t'))).encode(defenc))
+                    fp.write(("\t%s = %s\n" % (key, self._value_to_string(value).replace('\n', '\n\t'))).encode(defenc))
                 # END if key is not __name__
         # END section writing
 
@@ -529,6 +530,11 @@ def get_value(self, section, option, default=None):
 
         return valuestr
 
+    def _value_to_string(self, value):
+        if isinstance(value, (int, float, bool)):
+            return str(value)
+        return force_text(value)
+
     @needs_values
     @set_dirty_and_flush_changes
     def set_value(self, section, option, value):
@@ -543,7 +549,7 @@ def set_value(self, section, option, value):
             to a string"""
         if not self.has_section(section):
             self.add_section(section)
-        self.set(section, option, str(value))
+        self.set(section, option, self._value_to_string(value))
 
     def rename_section(self, section, new_name):
         """rename the given section to new_name
@@ -558,7 +564,7 @@ def rename_section(self, section, new_name):
 
         super(GitConfigParser, self).add_section(new_name)
         for k, v in self.items(section):
-            self.set(new_name, k, str(v))
+            self.set(new_name, k, self._value_to_string(v))
         # end for each value to copy
 
         # This call writes back the changes, which is why we don't have the respective decorator
 
@@ -381,12 +381,13 @@ def test_index_mutation(self, rw_repo):
         num_entries = len(index.entries)
         cur_head = rw_repo.head
 
-        uname = "Some Developer"
+        uname = u"Thomas Müller"
         umail = "sd@company.com"
         writer = rw_repo.config_writer()
         writer.set_value("user", "name", uname)
         writer.set_value("user", "email", umail)
         writer.release()
+        assert writer.get_value("user", "name") == uname
 
         # remove all of the files, provide a wild mix of paths, BaseIndexEntries,
         # IndexEntries
 
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@
 # NOTE:  Some of the unused imports might be used/imported by others.
 # Handle once test-cases are back up and running.
 from .exc import GitCommandError
-from .compat import MAXSIZE
+from .compat import (
+    MAXSIZE,
+    defenc,
+    PY3
+)
 
 # Most of these are unused here, but are for use by git-python modules so these
 # don't see gitdb all the time. Flake of course doesn't like it.
@@ -364,7 +368,11 @@ def _main_actor(cls, env_name, env_email, config_reader=None):
         for attr, evar, cvar, default in (('name', env_name, cls.conf_name, default_name),
                                           ('email', env_email, cls.conf_email, default_email)):
             try:
-                setattr(actor, attr, os.environ[evar])
+                val = os.environ[evar]
+                if not PY3:
+                    val = val.decode(defenc)
+                # end assure we don't get 'invalid strings'
+                setattr(actor, attr, val)
             except KeyError:
                 if config_reader is not None:
                     setattr(actor, attr, config_reader.get_value('user', cvar, default))