diff --git a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
index 78895741c..8ac93dedf 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ cuni = conv_to_unicode_direct
 def conv_to_unicode(x, y='utf8'):
     return x if x is None or isinstance(x, UNITYPE) else cuni(x, y)
 
+def uni_to_gui(x):
+    '''
+    In Py2 we need to convert strings to utf8 before passing them to
+    Gtk functions.
+    '''
+    if sys.version_info[0] < 3 and isinstance(x, UNITYPE):
+        return x.encode('utf8')
+    else:
+        return x
 
 # handle in database is bytes, while internally Gramps wants unicode for py3
 if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
diff --git a/gramps/gui/glade.py b/gramps/gui/glade.py
index c3c040d1a..e37d133e3 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/glade.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/glade.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ from gi.repository import Gtk
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gramps.gen.const import GLADE_DIR, GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE, uni_to_gui
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Glade(Gtk.Builder):
         
         # try to build Gtk objects from glade file.  Let exceptions happen
         
-        self.add_from_file(path)
+        self.add_from_file(uni_to_gui(path))
         self.__dirname, self.__filename = os.path.split(path)
         
         # try to find the toplevel widget