diff --git a/pandora_client/__init__.py b/pandora_client/__init__.py
index 3c3665b..6754af0 100644
--- a/pandora_client/__init__.py
+++ b/pandora_client/__init__.py
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class Client(object):
         if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(db_conn)):
             os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(db_conn))
         conn = sqlite3.connect(db_conn, timeout=10)
-        conn.text_factory = sqlite3.OptimizedUnicode
+        conn.text_factory = str
         return conn, conn.cursor()
 
     def media_cache(self):
@@ -902,8 +902,9 @@ class API(ox.API):
         #upload media 
         if os.path.exists(i['media']):
             size = ox.format_bytes(os.path.getsize(i['media']))
-            print "uploading %s of %s (%s)" % (profile, os.path.basename(filename), size)
-            url = self.url + 'upload/' + '?profile=' + str(profile) + '&id=' + i['oshash']
+            name = os.path.basename(filename).decode('utf-8')
+            print (u"uploading %s of %s (%s)" % (profile, name, size)).encode('utf-8')
+            url = self.url + 'upload/?profile=%s&id=%s' % (profile, i['oshash'])
             if not self.upload_chunks(url, i['media'], data):
                 if DEBUG:
                     print "failed"