diff --git a/ietf/ipr/mail.py b/ietf/ipr/mail.py
index 93b8ff9d8..1f4497e7e 100644
--- a/ietf/ipr/mail.py
+++ b/ietf/ipr/mail.py
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 # Copyright The IETF Trust 2014-2019, All Rights Reserved
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 import base64
 import email
@@ -9,7 +13,7 @@ import pytz
 import re
 
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
-from django.utils.encoding import force_text
+from django.utils.encoding import force_text, force_str
 
 import debug                            # pyflakes:ignore
 
@@ -171,7 +175,7 @@ def process_response_email(msg):
     a matching value in the reply_to field, associated to an IPR disclosure through
     IprEvent.  Create a Message object for the incoming message and associate it to
     the original message via new IprEvent"""
-    message = email.message_from_string(msg)
+    message = email.message_from_string(force_str(msg))
     to = message.get('To')
     
     # exit if this isn't a response we're interested in (with plus addressing)
diff --git a/ietf/message/utils.py b/ietf/message/utils.py
index 8c0c6934a..1460fed62 100644
--- a/ietf/message/utils.py
+++ b/ietf/message/utils.py
@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
 # Copyright The IETF Trust 2012-2019, All Rights Reserved
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
+
 import re, datetime, email
 
-from ietf.utils.mail import send_mail_text, send_mail_mime
+from django.utils.encoding import force_str
+
+from ietf.utils.mail import send_mail_text, send_mail_mime, get_payload
 from ietf.message.models import Message
 
 first_dot_on_line_re = re.compile(r'^\.', re.MULTILINE)
 
 def infer_message(s):
-    parsed = email.message_from_string(s)
+    parsed = email.message_from_string(force_str(s))
 
     m = Message()
     m.subject = parsed.get("Subject", "")
@@ -16,7 +23,7 @@ def infer_message(s):
     m.cc = parsed.get("Cc", "")
     m.bcc = parsed.get("Bcc", "")
     m.reply_to = parsed.get("Reply-To", "")
-    m.body = parsed.get_payload()
+    m.body = get_payload(parsed)
 
     return m
 
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ def send_scheduled_message_from_send_queue(send_queue):
         # make body a real message so we can parse it
         body = ("MIME-Version: 1.0\r\nContent-Type: %s\r\n" % message.content_type) + body
         
-        msg = email.message_from_string(body)
+        msg = email.message_from_string(force_str(body))
         send_mail_mime(None, message.to, message.frm, message.subject,
                        msg, cc=message.cc, bcc=message.bcc)
 
diff --git a/ietf/submit/mail.py b/ietf/submit/mail.py
index 3ffb3769a..1014ea6ea 100644
--- a/ietf/submit/mail.py
+++ b/ietf/submit/mail.py
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 # Copyright The IETF Trust 2013-2019, All Rights Reserved
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 import re
 import email
@@ -12,7 +16,7 @@ from django.urls import reverse as urlreverse
 from django.core.validators import ValidationError
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
-from django.utils.encoding import force_text
+from django.utils.encoding import force_text, force_str
 
 import debug                            # pyflakes:ignore
 
@@ -186,7 +190,7 @@ def process_response_email(msg):
     a matching value in the reply_to field, associated to a submission.
     Create a Message object for the incoming message and associate it to
     the original message via new SubmissionEvent"""
-    message = email.message_from_string(msg)
+    message = email.message_from_string(force_str(msg))
     to = message.get('To')
 
     # exit if this isn't a response we're interested in (with plus addressing)