--- a/pym/portage/__init__.py	
+++ a/pym/portage/__init__.py	
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ if sys.hexversion >= 0x3000000:
 		if isinstance(s, bytes):
 			s = str(s, encoding=encoding, errors=errors)
 		return s
+
+	_native_string = _unicode_decode
 else:
 	def _unicode_encode(s, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='backslashreplace'):
 		if isinstance(s, unicode):
@@ -192,6 +194,8 @@ else:
 			s = unicode(s, encoding=encoding, errors=errors)
 		return s
 
+	_native_string = _unicode_encode
+
 class _unicode_func_wrapper(object):
 	"""
 	Wraps a function, converts arguments from unicode to bytes,
--- a/pym/portage/_selinux.py	
+++ a/pym/portage/_selinux.py	
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ 
-# Copyright 1999-2011 Gentoo Foundation
+# Copyright 1999-2013 Gentoo Foundation
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 # Don't use the unicode-wrapped os and shutil modules here since
@@ -8,18 +8,18 @@ import shutil
 
 import portage
 from portage import _encodings
-from portage import _unicode_decode
-from portage import _unicode_encode
+from portage import _native_string, _unicode_decode
 from portage.localization import _
 portage.proxy.lazyimport.lazyimport(globals(),
 	'selinux')
 
 def copyfile(src, dest):
-	src = _unicode_encode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
-	dest = _unicode_encode(dest, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	src = _native_string(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	dest = _native_string(dest, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
 	(rc, ctx) = selinux.lgetfilecon(src)
 	if rc < 0:
-		src = _unicode_decode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			src = _unicode_decode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
 		raise OSError(_("copyfile: Failed getting context of \"%s\".") % src)
 
 	setfscreate(ctx)
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ def is_selinux_enabled():
 	return selinux.is_selinux_enabled()
 
 def mkdir(target, refdir):
-	target = _unicode_encode(target, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
-	refdir = _unicode_encode(refdir, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	target = _native_string(target, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	refdir = _native_string(refdir, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
 	(rc, ctx) = selinux.getfilecon(refdir)
 	if rc < 0:
-		refdir = _unicode_decode(refdir, encoding=_encodings['fs'],
-			errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			refdir = _unicode_decode(refdir, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
 		raise OSError(
 			_("mkdir: Failed getting context of reference directory \"%s\".") \
 			% refdir)
@@ -56,11 +56,12 @@ def mkdir(target, refdir):
 		setfscreate()
 
 def rename(src, dest):
-	src = _unicode_encode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
-	dest = _unicode_encode(dest, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	src = _native_string(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	dest = _native_string(dest, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
 	(rc, ctx) = selinux.lgetfilecon(src)
 	if rc < 0:
-		src = _unicode_decode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			src = _unicode_decode(src, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
 		raise OSError(_("rename: Failed getting context of \"%s\".") % src)
 
 	setfscreate(ctx)
@@ -75,10 +76,10 @@ def settype(newtype):
 	return ":".join(ret)
 
 def setexec(ctx="\n"):
-	ctx = _unicode_encode(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
+	ctx = _native_string(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
 	if selinux.setexeccon(ctx) < 0:
-		ctx = _unicode_decode(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'],
-			errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			ctx = _unicode_decode(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='replace')
 		if selinux.security_getenforce() == 1:
 			raise OSError(_("Failed setting exec() context \"%s\".") % ctx)
 		else:
@@ -87,11 +88,10 @@ def setexec(ctx="\n"):
 				noiselevel=-1)
 
 def setfscreate(ctx="\n"):
-	ctx = _unicode_encode(ctx,
-		encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
+	ctx = _native_string(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
 	if selinux.setfscreatecon(ctx) < 0:
-		ctx = _unicode_decode(ctx,
-			encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			ctx = _unicode_decode(ctx, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='replace')
 		raise OSError(
 			_("setfscreate: Failed setting fs create context \"%s\".") % ctx)
 
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ class spawn_wrapper(object):
 
 	def __init__(self, spawn_func, selinux_type):
 		self._spawn_func = spawn_func
-		selinux_type = _unicode_encode(selinux_type,
-			encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
+		selinux_type = _native_string(selinux_type, encoding=_encodings['content'], errors='strict')
 		self._con = settype(selinux_type)
 
 	def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -123,13 +122,13 @@ class spawn_wrapper(object):
 		return self._spawn_func(*args, **kwargs)
 
 def symlink(target, link, reflnk):
-	target = _unicode_encode(target, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
-	link = _unicode_encode(link, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
-	reflnk = _unicode_encode(reflnk, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	target = _native_string(target, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	link = _native_string(link, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
+	reflnk = _native_string(reflnk, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='strict')
 	(rc, ctx) = selinux.lgetfilecon(reflnk)
 	if rc < 0:
-		reflnk = _unicode_decode(reflnk, encoding=_encodings['fs'],
-			errors='replace')
+		if sys.hexversion < 0x3000000:
+			reflnk = _unicode_decode(reflnk, encoding=_encodings['fs'], errors='replace')
 		raise OSError(
 			_("symlink: Failed getting context of reference symlink \"%s\".") \
 			% reflnk)