diff --git a/tower/api/base.py b/tower/api/base.py
index ac60525c756532cbe921c44f7f7ff15bc03fc4c9..2e7a0a0830227da46ffb6df068ed9c24c2e6d080 100644
--- a/tower/api/base.py
+++ b/tower/api/base.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class BaseHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
             # Fallback to basic
             auth_header = self.request.headers.get("Authorization")
             if auth_header and auth_header.startswith("Basic "):
-                auth = codecs.decode(auth_header[6:].encode("utf-8"), "base64").decode("utf-8")
+                auth = codecs.decode(auth_header[6:].encode("utf-8"), "base64")
                 u, p = auth.split(":", 2)
                 au = User.authenticate(u, p)
                 if au.is_active:
diff --git a/tower/models/environment.py b/tower/models/environment.py
index 4dfedf95c1da8c640db4f48fbcf257251fd3b98d..424aa37380fb445f81312de4a062618d458cd68d 100644
--- a/tower/models/environment.py
+++ b/tower/models/environment.py
@@ -294,8 +294,8 @@ class Environment(Model):
 
             for n in need_cert:
                 conf = json.loads(n.config)
-                conf["cert"] = str(certificate[s]["cert"].decode())
-                conf["cert_key"] = str(certificate[s]["key"].decode())
+                conf["cert"] = str(certificate[s]["cert"])
+                conf["cert_key"] = str(certificate[s]["key"])
                 n.config = json.dumps(conf, sort_keys=True)
                 n.save()