diff --git a/GnuPG/__init__.py b/GnuPG/__init__.py
index 6404720..b20c3d8 100644
--- a/GnuPG/__init__.py
+++ b/GnuPG/__init__.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ def public_keys( keyhome ):
 	fingerprint = None
 	email = None
 	for line in p.stdout.readlines():
+		line = line.decode('utf-8')
 		if line[0:3] == LINE_FINGERPRINT:
 			fingerprint = line.split(':')[POS_FINGERPRINT]
 		if line[0:3] == LINE_USER_ID:
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ def delete_key( keyhome, email ):
 class GPGEncryptor:
 	def __init__(self, keyhome, recipients = None, charset = None):
 		self._keyhome = keyhome
-		self._message = ''
+		self._message = b''
 		self._recipients = list()
 		self._charset = charset
 		if recipients != None:
diff --git a/gpg-mailgate.py b/gpg-mailgate.py
index 39fcc61..d360255 100755
--- a/gpg-mailgate.py
+++ b/gpg-mailgate.py
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ def encrypt_all_payloads_mime( message, gpg_to_cmdline ):
 def encrypt_payload( payload, gpg_to_cmdline, check_nested = True ):
 
 	raw_payload = payload.get_payload(decode=True)
-	if check_nested and "-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----" in raw_payload and "-----END PGP MESSAGE-----" in raw_payload:
+	if check_nested and b"-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----" in raw_payload and b"-----END PGP MESSAGE-----" in raw_payload:
 		if verbose:
 			log("Message is already pgp encrypted. No nested encryption needed.")
 		return payload
@@ -596,9 +596,13 @@ def sanitize_case_sense( address ):
 	if get_bool_from_cfg('default', 'mail_case_insensitive', 'yes'):
 		address = address.lower()
 	else:
-		splitted_address = address.split('@')
+		if isinstance(address, str):
+			sep = '@'
+		else:
+			sep = b'@'
+		splitted_address = address.split(sep)
 		if len(splitted_address) > 1:
-			address = splitted_address[0] + '@' + splitted_address[1].lower()
+			address = splitted_address[0] + sep + splitted_address[1].lower()
 
 	return address