@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     altz_to_utctz_str,
 )
 from git.compat import (
+    PY3,
     xrange,
     string_types,
     defenc
@@ -37,6 +38,16 @@ class RefLogEntry(tuple):
 
     def __repr__(self):
         """Representation of ourselves in git reflog format"""
+        res = self.format()
+        if PY3:
+            return res
+        else:
+            # repr must return a string, which it will auto-encode from unicode using the default encoding.
+            # This usually fails, so we encode ourselves
+            return res.encode(defenc)
+
+    def format(self):
+        """:return: a string suitable to be placed in a reflog file"""
         act = self.actor
         time = self.time
         return u"{0} {1} {2} <{3}> {4!s} {5}\t{6}\n".format(self.oldhexsha,
@@ -45,7 +56,7 @@ def __repr__(self):
                                                             act.email,
                                                             time[0],
                                                             altz_to_utctz_str(time[1]),
-                                                            self.message).encode("utf-8")
+                                                            self.message)
 
     @property
     def oldhexsha(self):
@@ -273,7 +284,7 @@ def append_entry(cls, config_reader, filepath, oldbinsha, newbinsha, message):
         lf._obtain_lock_or_raise()
         fd = open(filepath, 'ab')
         try:
-            fd.write(repr(entry).encode(defenc))
+            fd.write(entry.format().encode(defenc))
         finally:
             fd.close()
             lf._release_lock()
@@ -298,7 +309,7 @@ def _serialize(self, stream):
 
         # write all entries
         for e in self:
-            write(repr(e).encode(defenc))
+            write(e.format().encode(defenc))
         # END for each entry
 
     def _deserialize(self, stream):
 
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#-*-coding:utf-8-*-
 # test_index.py
 # Copyright (C) 2008, 2009 Michael Trier (mtrier@gmail.com) and contributors
 #
@@ -433,7 +434,7 @@ def mixed_iterator():
         # TEST COMMITTING
         # commit changed index
         cur_commit = cur_head.commit
-        commit_message = "commit default head"
+        commit_message = u"commit default head by Frèderic Çaufl€"
 
         new_commit = index.commit(commit_message, head=False)
         assert cur_commit != new_commit
@@ -449,18 +450,19 @@ def mixed_iterator():
         # commit with other actor
         cur_commit = cur_head.commit
 
-        my_author = Actor("An author", "author@example.com")
-        my_committer = Actor("An committer", "committer@example.com")
+        my_author = Actor(u"Frèderic Çaufl€", "author@example.com")
+        my_committer = Actor(u"Committing Frèderic Çaufl€", "committer@example.com")
         commit_actor = index.commit(commit_message, author=my_author, committer=my_committer)
         assert cur_commit != commit_actor
-        assert commit_actor.author.name == "An author"
+        assert commit_actor.author.name == u"Frèderic Çaufl€"
         assert commit_actor.author.email == "author@example.com"
-        assert commit_actor.committer.name == "An committer"
+        assert commit_actor.committer.name == u"Committing Frèderic Çaufl€"
         assert commit_actor.committer.email == "committer@example.com"
         assert commit_actor.message == commit_message
         assert commit_actor.parents[0] == cur_commit
         assert len(new_commit.parents) == 1
-        assert cur_head.commit == cur_commit
+        assert cur_head.commit == commit_actor
+        assert cur_head.log()[-1].actor == my_committer
 
         # same index, no parents
         commit_message = "index without parents"
 
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ def __str__(self):
         return self.name
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '<git.Actor "%s <%s>">' % (self.name, self.email)
+        return u'<git.Actor "%s <%s>">' % (self.name, self.email)
 
     @classmethod
     def _from_string(cls, string):