diff --git a/vcsserver/base.py b/vcsserver/base.py
--- a/vcsserver/base.py
+++ b/vcsserver/base.py
@@ -114,13 +114,13 @@ def archive_repo(walker, archive_dest_pa
             f'Remote does not support: "{kind}" archive type.')
 
     for f in walker(commit_id, archive_at_path):
-        f_path = os.path.join(safe_bytes(archive_dir_name), f.path.lstrip(b'/'))
+        f_path = os.path.join(safe_bytes(archive_dir_name), safe_bytes(f.path).lstrip(b'/'))
         try:
             archiver.addfile(f_path, f.mode, f.is_link, f.raw_bytes())
         except NoContentException:
             # NOTE(marcink): this is a special case for SVN so we can create "empty"
             # directories which arent supported by archiver
-            archiver.addfile(os.path.join(f_path, b'.dir'), f.mode, f.is_link, '')
+            archiver.addfile(os.path.join(f_path, b'.dir'), f.mode, f.is_link, b'')
 
     if write_metadata:
         metadata = dict([
diff --git a/vcsserver/remote/git.py b/vcsserver/remote/git.py
--- a/vcsserver/remote/git.py
+++ b/vcsserver/remote/git.py
@@ -1127,6 +1127,7 @@ class GitRemote(RemoteBase):
     @reraise_safe_exceptions
     def diff(self, wire, commit_id_1, commit_id_2, file_filter, opt_ignorews, context):
         repo_init = self._factory.repo_libgit2(wire)
+
         with repo_init as repo:
             swap = True
             flags = 0
@@ -1152,7 +1153,7 @@ class GitRemote(RemoteBase):
             if file_filter:
                 for p in diff_obj:
                     if p.delta.old_file.path == file_filter:
-                        return p.patch or ''
+                        return p.data or ''
                 # fo matching path == no diff
                 return ''
             return diff_obj.patch or ''
diff --git a/vcsserver/remote/hg.py b/vcsserver/remote/hg.py
--- a/vcsserver/remote/hg.py
+++ b/vcsserver/remote/hg.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
 # Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301  USA
-
+import binascii
 import io
 import logging
 import stat
@@ -471,7 +471,9 @@ class HgRemote(RemoteBase):
         repo = self._factory.repo(wire)
 
         if file_filter:
-            match_filter = match(file_filter[0], '', [file_filter[1]])
+            # unpack the file-filter
+            repo_path, node_path = file_filter
+            match_filter = match(safe_bytes(repo_path), b'', [safe_bytes(node_path)])
         else:
             match_filter = file_filter
         opts = diffopts(git=opt_git, ignorews=opt_ignorews, context=context, showfunc=1)
@@ -683,7 +685,7 @@ class HgRemote(RemoteBase):
                     rev = rev + -1
             try:
                 ctx = self._get_ctx(repo, rev)
-            except (TypeError, RepoLookupError) as e:
+            except (TypeError, RepoLookupError, binascii.Error) as e:
                 e._org_exc_tb = traceback.format_exc()
                 raise exceptions.LookupException(e)(rev)
             except LookupError as e:
diff --git a/vcsserver/remote/svn.py b/vcsserver/remote/svn.py
--- a/vcsserver/remote/svn.py
+++ b/vcsserver/remote/svn.py
@@ -559,6 +559,7 @@ class SvnRemote(RemoteBase):
             """
             Special recursive svn repo walker
             """
+            root_dir = safe_bytes(root_dir)
 
             filemode_default = 0o100644
             filemode_executable = 0o100755
@@ -574,7 +575,8 @@ class SvnRemote(RemoteBase):
                     for _f_name, _f_data, _f_type in walk_tree(root, new_root, _commit_id):
                         yield _f_name, _f_data, _f_type
                 else:
-                    f_path = os.path.join(root_dir, f_name).rstrip('/')
+
+                    f_path = os.path.join(root_dir, f_name).rstrip(b'/')
                     prop_list = svn.fs.node_proplist(root, f_path)
 
                     f_mode = filemode_default
@@ -697,6 +699,11 @@ class SvnDiffer(object):
     def _generate_node_diff(
             self, buf, change, tgt_path, tgt_base, src_path, src_base):
 
+
+        tgt_path = safe_str(tgt_path)
+        src_path = safe_str(src_path)
+
+
         if self.src_rev == self.tgt_rev and tgt_base == src_base:
             # makes consistent behaviour with git/hg to return empty diff if
             # we compare same revisions
@@ -754,6 +761,7 @@ class SvnDiffer(object):
                 ignore_blank_lines=self.ignore_whitespace,
                 ignore_case=False,
                 ignore_space_changes=self.ignore_whitespace)
+
             buf.writelines(udiff)
 
     def _get_mime_type(self, path):
@@ -774,6 +782,7 @@ class SvnDiffer(object):
             return []
         content = svn.core.Stream(
             svn.fs.file_contents(fs_root, node_path)).read()
+
         return content.splitlines(True)
 
 
diff --git a/vcsserver/svn_diff.py b/vcsserver/svn_diff.py
--- a/vcsserver/svn_diff.py
+++ b/vcsserver/svn_diff.py
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ def unified_diff(fromlines, tolines, con
     See `get_filtered_hunks` for the parameter descriptions.
     """
     # TODO: johbo: Check if this can be nicely integrated into the matching
+
     if ignore_space_changes:
         fromlines = [l.strip() for l in fromlines]
         tolines = [l.strip() for l in tolines]