diff --git a/gramps/plugins/db/dummydb.py b/gramps/plugins/db/dummydb.py
index f59b47c10..8d3dfa96a 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/db/dummydb.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/db/dummydb.py
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_family_handles(self, sort_handles=False):
         """
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_note_handles(self):
         """
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_person_attribute_types(self):
         """
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_person_handles(self, sort_handles=False):
         """
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_place_handles(self, sort_handles=False):
         """
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_family_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_note_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_media_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_person_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_place_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_repository_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_source_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_citation_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_raw_tag_data(self, handle):
         """
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_repo_bookmarks(self):
         """
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_repository_handles(self):
         """
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_source_handles(self, sort_handles=False):
         """
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_citation_handles(self, sort_handles=False):
         """
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ class DummyDb(M_A_M_B("NewBaseClass", (DbReadBase, Callback, object,), {})):
         if not self.db_is_open:
             LOG.warning("database is closed")
         LOG.warning("handle %s does not exist in the dummy database", handle)
-        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.decode('utf-8'))
+        raise HandleError('Handle %s not found' % handle.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def get_tag_from_name(self, val):
         """