@@ -29,13 +29,16 @@
     FileType = io.IOBase
     def byte_ord(b):
         return b
+    def bchr(n):
+        return bytes([n])
 else:
     FileType = file
     # usually, this is just ascii, which might not enough for our encoding needs
     # Unless it's set specifically, we override it to be utf-8
     if defenc == 'ascii':
         defenc = 'utf-8'
     byte_ord = ord
+    bchr = chr
 
 
 def with_metaclass(meta, *bases):
 
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 from gitdb.base import IStream
 from gitdb.typ import str_tree_type
+from git.compat import defenc
 
 __all__ = ('write_cache', 'read_cache', 'write_tree_from_cache', 'entry_key',
            'stat_mode_to_index_mode', 'S_IFGITLINK')
@@ -86,9 +87,9 @@ def write_cache(entries, stream, extension_data=None, ShaStreamCls=IndexFileSHA1
         flags = plen | (entry[2] & CE_NAMEMASK_INV)     # clear possible previous values
         write(pack(">LLLLLL20sH", entry[6], entry[7], entry[0],
                    entry[8], entry[9], entry[10], entry[1], flags))
-        write(path)
+        write(path.encode(defenc))
         real_size = ((tell() - beginoffset + 8) & ~7)
-        write("\0" * ((beginoffset + real_size) - tell()))
+        write(b"\0" * ((beginoffset + real_size) - tell()))
     # END for each entry
 
     # write previously cached extensions data
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ def write_cache(entries, stream, extension_data=None, ShaStreamCls=IndexFileSHA1
 def read_header(stream):
     """Return tuple(version_long, num_entries) from the given stream"""
     type_id = stream.read(4)
-    if type_id != "DIRC":
+    if type_id != b"DIRC":
         raise AssertionError("Invalid index file header: %r" % type_id)
     version, num_entries = unpack(">LL", stream.read(4 * 2))
 
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ def read_cache(stream):
         (dev, ino, mode, uid, gid, size, sha, flags) = \
             unpack(">LLLLLL20sH", read(20 + 4 * 6 + 2))
         path_size = flags & CE_NAMEMASK
-        path = read(path_size)
+        path = read(path_size).decode(defenc)
 
         real_size = ((tell() - beginoffset + 8) & ~7)
         read((beginoffset + real_size) - tell())
 
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
     byte_ord,
     defenc,
     xrange,
-    text_type
+    text_type,
+    bchr
 )
 
 __all__ = ('tree_to_stream', 'tree_entries_from_data', 'traverse_trees_recursive',
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ def tree_to_stream(entries, write):
     for binsha, mode, name in entries:
         mode_str = b''
         for i in xrange(6):
-            mode_str = chr(((mode >> (i * 3)) & bit_mask) + ord_zero) + mode_str
+            mode_str = bchr(((mode >> (i * 3)) & bit_mask) + ord_zero) + mode_str
         # END for each 8 octal value
 
         # git slices away the first octal if its zero
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 class TestFun(TestBase):
 
     def _assert_index_entries(self, entries, trees):
-        index = IndexFile.from_tree(self.rorepo, *[self.rorepo.tree(bin_to_hex(t)) for t in trees])
+        index = IndexFile.from_tree(self.rorepo, *[self.rorepo.tree(bin_to_hex(t).decode('ascii')) for t in trees])
         assert entries
         assert len(index.entries) == len(entries)
         for entry in entries:
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ def assert_entries(entries, num_entries, has_conflict=False):
             assert has_conflict == (len([e for e in entries if e.stage != 0]) > 0)
         mktree = self.mktree
 
-        shaa = "\1" * 20
-        shab = "\2" * 20
-        shac = "\3" * 20
+        shaa = b"\1" * 20
+        shab = b"\2" * 20
+        shac = b"\3" * 20
 
         odb = rwrepo.odb
 
@@ -256,6 +256,6 @@ def test_tree_traversal_single(self):
             assert entries
         # END for each commit
 
-    def test_tree_entries_from_data(self):
+    def test_tree_entries_from_data_with_failing_name_decode(self):
         r = tree_entries_from_data(b'100644 \x9f\0aaa')
-        assert r == [('aaa', 33188, '\x9f')], r
+        assert r == [(b'aaa', 33188, b'\x9f')], r