diff --git a/lib/request/direct.py b/lib/request/direct.py
index cc5c487cd..4eec90e4a 100644
--- a/lib/request/direct.py
+++ b/lib/request/direct.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from lib.core.agent import agent
 from lib.core.common import dataToSessionFile
 from lib.core.convert import base64pickle
 from lib.core.convert import base64unpickle
+from lib.core.convert import utf8decode
 from lib.core.data import conf
 from lib.core.data import kb
 from lib.core.data import logger
@@ -67,7 +68,10 @@ def direct(query, content=True):
 
         if len(output) == 1:
             if len(output[0]) == 1:
-                return unicode(list(output)[0][0])
+                out = list(output)[0][0]
+                if isinstance(out, str):
+                    out = utf8decode(out)
+                return out
             else:
                 return list(output)
         else:
diff --git a/plugins/dbms/postgresql/connector.py b/plugins/dbms/postgresql/connector.py
index 885b0056f..4abe50b04 100644
--- a/plugins/dbms/postgresql/connector.py
+++ b/plugins/dbms/postgresql/connector.py
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 
 try:
     import psycopg2
+    import psycopg2.extensions
+    psycopg2.extensions.register_type(psycopg2.extensions.UNICODE)
+    psycopg2.extensions.register_type(psycopg2.extensions.UNICODEARRAY)
 except ImportError, _:
     pass
 
@@ -54,6 +57,8 @@ class Connector(GenericConnector):
         except psycopg2.OperationalError, msg:
             raise sqlmapConnectionException, msg
 
+        self.connector.set_client_encoding('UNICODE')
+
         self.setCursor()
         self.connected()