diff --git a/src/PIL/JpegImagePlugin.py b/src/PIL/JpegImagePlugin.py
index 7b5b32be0..ef0be6699 100644
--- a/src/PIL/JpegImagePlugin.py
+++ b/src/PIL/JpegImagePlugin.py
@@ -736,9 +736,7 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
             )
             i += 1
 
-    comment = info.get("comment", im.info.get("comment")) or b""
-    if isinstance(comment, str):
-        comment = comment.encode()
+    comment = info.get("comment", im.info.get("comment"))
 
     # "progressive" is the official name, but older documentation
     # says "progression"
diff --git a/src/encode.c b/src/encode.c
index a2eae81fd..d37cbfbcf 100644
--- a/src/encode.c
+++ b/src/encode.c
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ PyImaging_JpegEncoderNew(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(
             args,
-            "ss|nnnnnnnnOy#y#y#",
+            "ss|nnnnnnnnOz#y#y#",
             &mode,
             &rawmode,
             &quality,
diff --git a/src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c b/src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c
index b6e3acc95..2a24eff39 100644
--- a/src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c
+++ b/src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ ImagingJpegEncode(Imaging im, ImagingCodecState state, UINT8 *buf, int bytes) {
 
         case 4:
 
-            if (context->comment_size > 0) {
+            if (context->comment) {
                 jpeg_write_marker(&context->cinfo, JPEG_COM, (unsigned char *)context->comment, context->comment_size);
             }
             state->state++;