diff --git a/compose/cli/log_printer.py b/compose/cli/log_printer.py
index 69ada850e..c2fcc54fd 100644
--- a/compose/cli/log_printer.py
+++ b/compose/cli/log_printer.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class LogPrinter(object):
     def _make_log_generator(self, container, color_fn):
         prefix = color_fn(self._generate_prefix(container))
         # Attach to container before log printer starts running
-        line_generator = split_buffer(self._attach(container), '\n')
+        line_generator = split_buffer(self._attach(container), u'\n')
 
         for line in line_generator:
             yield prefix + line
diff --git a/compose/cli/utils.py b/compose/cli/utils.py
index cbc9123cf..0b7ac683d 100644
--- a/compose/cli/utils.py
+++ b/compose/cli/utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import platform
 import ssl
 import subprocess
 
+import six
 from docker import version as docker_py_version
 from six.moves import input
 
@@ -63,11 +64,11 @@ def split_buffer(reader, separator):
     separator, except for the last one if none was found on the end
     of the input.
     """
-    buffered = str('')
-    separator = str(separator)
+    buffered = six.text_type('')
+    separator = six.text_type(separator)
 
     for data in reader:
-        buffered += data
+        buffered += data.decode('utf-8')
         while True:
             index = buffered.find(separator)
             if index == -1:
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/log_printer_test.py b/tests/unit/cli/log_printer_test.py
index 142bd7f34..d8fbf94b9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/log_printer_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/log_printer_test.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from tests import unittest
 class LogPrinterTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def get_default_output(self, monochrome=False):
         def reader(*args, **kwargs):
-            yield "hello\nworld"
+            yield b"hello\nworld"
 
         container = MockContainer(reader)
         output = run_log_printer([container], monochrome=monochrome)
@@ -36,11 +36,10 @@ class LogPrinterTest(unittest.TestCase):
         glyph = u'\u2022'
 
         def reader(*args, **kwargs):
-            yield glyph + '\n'
+            yield glyph.encode('utf-8') + b'\n'
 
         container = MockContainer(reader)
         output = run_log_printer([container])
-
         if six.PY2:
             output = output.decode('utf-8')
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/split_buffer_test.py b/tests/unit/split_buffer_test.py
index 116460993..47c72f086 100644
--- a/tests/unit/split_buffer_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/split_buffer_test.py
@@ -8,33 +8,33 @@ from compose.cli.utils import split_buffer
 class SplitBufferTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_single_line_chunks(self):
         def reader():
-            yield 'abc\n'
-            yield 'def\n'
-            yield 'ghi\n'
+            yield b'abc\n'
+            yield b'def\n'
+            yield b'ghi\n'
 
         self.assert_produces(reader, ['abc\n', 'def\n', 'ghi\n'])
 
     def test_no_end_separator(self):
         def reader():
-            yield 'abc\n'
-            yield 'def\n'
-            yield 'ghi'
+            yield b'abc\n'
+            yield b'def\n'
+            yield b'ghi'
 
         self.assert_produces(reader, ['abc\n', 'def\n', 'ghi'])
 
     def test_multiple_line_chunk(self):
         def reader():
-            yield 'abc\ndef\nghi'
+            yield b'abc\ndef\nghi'
 
         self.assert_produces(reader, ['abc\n', 'def\n', 'ghi'])
 
     def test_chunked_line(self):
         def reader():
-            yield 'a'
-            yield 'b'
-            yield 'c'
-            yield '\n'
-            yield 'd'
+            yield b'a'
+            yield b'b'
+            yield b'c'
+            yield b'\n'
+            yield b'd'
 
         self.assert_produces(reader, ['abc\n', 'd'])
 
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ class SplitBufferTest(unittest.TestCase):
         string = u"a\u2022c\n"
 
         def reader():
-            yield string
+            yield string.encode('utf-8')
 
         self.assert_produces(reader, [string])
 
     def assert_produces(self, reader, expectations):
-        split = split_buffer(reader(), '\n')
+        split = split_buffer(reader(), u'\n')
 
         for (actual, expected) in zip(split, expectations):
             self.assertEqual(type(actual), type(expected))