diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index 728467f..7e91912 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -1730,7 +1730,7 @@ class InteractiveShell(Configurable, Magic):
         args = arg_s.split(' ',1)
         magic_name = args[0]
         magic_name = magic_name.lstrip(prefilter.ESC_MAGIC)
-
+        
         try:
             magic_args = args[1]
         except IndexError:
@@ -2453,12 +2453,11 @@ class InteractiveShell(Configurable, Magic):
         The global namespace for expansion is always the user's interactive
         namespace.
         """
-
-        return str(ItplNS(cmd,
-                          self.user_ns,  # globals
+        res = ItplNS(cmd, self.user_ns,  # globals
                           # Skip our own frame in searching for locals:
                           sys._getframe(depth+1).f_locals # locals
-                          ))
+                          )
+        return str(res).decode(res.codec)
 
     def mktempfile(self, data=None, prefix='ipython_edit_'):
         """Make a new tempfile and return its filename.
diff --git a/IPython/utils/text.py b/IPython/utils/text.py
index 9ccf2de..e00266c 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/text.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/text.py
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ def make_quoted_expr(s):
     tail = ''
     tailpadding = ''
     raw  = ''
+    ucode = 'u'
     if "\\" in s:
         raw = 'r'
         if s.endswith('\\'):
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ def make_quoted_expr(s):
     else:
         # give up, backslash-escaped string will do
         return '"%s"' % esc_quotes(s)
-    res = raw + quote + s + tailpadding + quote + tail
+    res = ucode + raw + quote + s + tailpadding + quote + tail
     return res