created by https://github.com/tr3buchet/gister

gistfile1.txt

diff --git a/circuits/protocols/irc/message.py b/circuits/protocols/irc/message.py
index 6d11e5f..fbc8604 100644
--- a/circuits/protocols/irc/message.py
+++ b/circuits/protocols/irc/message.py
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ class Message(object):
 
         return Message(command, *args, prefix=prefix)
 
-    def __bytes__(self):
-        return str(self).encode(self.encoding)
-
     def __str__(self):
+        return unicode(self).encode(self.encoding)
+
+    def __unicode__(self):
         args = self.args[:]
         for arg in args[:-1]:
             if arg is not None and " " in arg:
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ class Message(object):
         if len(args) > 0 and " " in args[-1]:
             args[-1] = ":{0:s}".format(args[-1])
 
-        return "{prefix:s}{command:s} {args:s}\r\n".format(
+        return u"{prefix:s}{command:s} {args:s}\r\n".format(
             prefix=(
-                ":{0:s} ".format(self.prefix)
+                u":{0:s} ".format(self.prefix)
                 if self.prefix is not None
-                else ""
+                else u""
             ),
-            command=str(self.command),
-            args=" ".join(args)
+            command=unicode(self.command),
+            args=u" ".join(args)
         )
 
     def __repr__(self):

Add/Replace the following lines:

from circuits.six import PY3

    def __str__(self):
        return self.__unicode__() if PY3 else self.__bytes__()
    def __bytes__(self):
       return unicode(self).encode(self.encoding)  # this still might raise UnicodeEncodeError with invalid user input!

Ahh I see; Thanks! Will do!