diff --git a/rhn/connections.py b/rhn/connections.py
index 66ae4d9..85992e7 100644
--- a/rhn/connections.py
+++ b/rhn/connections.py
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ class HTTPProxyConnection(HTTPConnection):
             return
         # Authenticated proxy
         userpass = "%s:%s" % (self.__username, self.__password)
-        enc_userpass = base64.encodestring(userpass).replace("\n", "")
-        self.putheader("Proxy-Authorization", "Basic %s" % enc_userpass)
+        enc_userpass = base64.encodestring(i18n.bstr(userpass)).replace(i18n.bstr("\n"), i18n.bstr(""))
+        self.putheader("Proxy-Authorization", "Basic %s" % i18n.sstr(enc_userpass))
 
     def _set_hostport(self, host, port):
         (self.host, self.port) = self._get_hostport(host, port)
diff --git a/rhnlib.spec b/rhnlib.spec
index 36bf3dc..38417c7 100644
--- a/rhnlib.spec
+++ b/rhnlib.spec
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 Summary: Python libraries for the Spacewalk project
 Name: rhnlib
 Version: 2.8.6
-Release: 6%{?dist}
+Release: 7%{?dist}
 URL:     https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk
 Source0: https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk/archive/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
 
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ make -f Makefile.rhnlib
 %endif
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Feb 04 2019 Michael Mraka <michael.mraka@redhat.com> 2.8.6-7
+- Resolves: #1666099 - python3 is picky about bytes and string
+
 * Wed Dec 19 2018 Michael Mraka <michael.mraka@redhat.com> 2.8.6-6
 - Resolves: #1652859 - python3 http.client does not contain _set_hostport()