diff --git a/lib/request/basic.py b/lib/request/basic.py
index 07dd6f075..8072a35da 100644
--- a/lib/request/basic.py
+++ b/lib/request/basic.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def parseResponse(page, headers):
 
                 if absFilePath not in kb.absFilePaths:
                     kb.absFilePaths.add(absFilePath)
-                    
+
 
 def decodePage(page, contentEncoding, contentType):
     """
@@ -105,6 +105,6 @@ def decodePage(page, contentEncoding, contentType):
 
     #http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1020892/python-urllib2-read-to-unicode
     if contentType and (contentType.find('charset=') != -1):
-        page = unicode(page, contentType.split('charset=')[-1])
+        page = unicode(page, contentType.split('charset=')[-1])     #don't use getUnicode here. it needs to stay as is.
 
     return page
diff --git a/lib/request/connect.py b/lib/request/connect.py
index 227ad6dc7..fd9185cc8 100644
--- a/lib/request/connect.py
+++ b/lib/request/connect.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import traceback
 
 from lib.contrib import multipartpost
 from lib.core.common import readInput
+from lib.core.common import getUnicode
 from lib.core.convert import urlencode
 from lib.core.data import conf
 from lib.core.data import kb
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ class Connect:
                     if not cookieStr:
                         cookieStr = "Cookie: "
     
-                    cookie = unicode(cookie)
+                    cookie = getUnicode(cookie)
                     index  = cookie.index(" for ")
     
                     cookieStr += "%s; " % cookie[8:index]
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ class Connect:
         responseMsg += "(%s - %d):\n" % (status, code)
 
         if conf.verbose <= 4:
-            responseMsg += unicode(responseHeaders)
+            responseMsg += getUnicode(responseHeaders)
         elif conf.verbose > 4:
             responseMsg += "%s\n%s\n" % (responseHeaders, page)