2 files changed, 18 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/coverage/backward.py b/coverage/backward.py
index c363f21f..af6da629 100644
--- a/coverage/backward.py
+++ b/coverage/backward.py
@@ -81,3 +81,19 @@ except AttributeError:
         """Open a source file the best way."""
         return open(fname, "rU")
 
+# Python 3.x is picky about bytes and strings, so provide methods to 
+# get them right, and make them no-ops in 2.x
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
+    def to_bytes(s):
+        return s.encode('utf8')
+
+    def to_string(b):
+        return b.decode('utf8')
+
+else:
+    def to_bytes(s):
+        return s
+
+    def to_string(b):
+        return b
+
diff --git a/coverage/files.py b/coverage/files.py
index 9a8ac564..a68a0a7f 100644
--- a/coverage/files.py
+++ b/coverage/files.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """File wrangling."""
 
+from coverage.backward import to_string
 import fnmatch, os, sys
 
 class FileLocator(object):
@@ -72,9 +73,7 @@ class FileLocator(object):
                     data = zi.get_data(parts[1])
                 except IOError:
                     continue
-                if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
-                    data = data.decode('utf8') # TODO: How to do this properly?
-                return data
+                return to_string(data)
         return None