diff --git a/src/common/connection.py b/src/common/connection.py
index 90ef64c00..05e0e224b 100644
--- a/src/common/connection.py
+++ b/src/common/connection.py
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class Connection(ConnectionHandlers):
 		self._hostname = hostname
 		if use_srv:
 			# add request for srv query to the resolve, on result '_on_resolve' will be called
-			gajim.resolver.resolve('_xmpp-client._tcp.' + h.encode('utf-8'), self._on_resolve)
+			gajim.resolver.resolve('_xmpp-client._tcp.' + helpers.unicode_to_ACE(h), self._on_resolve)
 		else:
 			self._on_resolve('', [])
 
diff --git a/src/common/helpers.py b/src/common/helpers.py
index d574bc009..ad39c6b22 100644
--- a/src/common/helpers.py
+++ b/src/common/helpers.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import errno
 import select
 import sha
 from encodings.punycode import punycode_encode
+from encodings import idna
 
 import gajim
 from i18n import Q_
@@ -85,6 +86,14 @@ def parse_jid(jidstring):
 
 	return prep(*decompose_jid(jidstring))
 
+def unicode_to_ACE(host):
+	'''convert IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) to ACE (ASCII-compatible encoding)'''
+	labels = idna.dots.split(host)
+	converted_labels = []
+	for label in labels:
+		converted_labels.append(idna.ToASCII(label))
+	return ".".join(converted_labels)
+
 def parse_resource(resource):
 	'''Perform stringprep on resource and return it'''
 	if resource:
diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 325a31a4a..59d21f997 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -2991,9 +2991,9 @@ class AccountCreationWizardWindow:
 				'.')
 				dialogs.ErrorDialog(pritext, sectext)
 				return
-			server = widgets['server_comboboxentry'].child.get_text()
+			server = widgets['server_comboboxentry'].child.get_text().decode('utf-8')
 			savepass = widgets['save_password_checkbutton'].get_active()
-			password = widgets['pass1_entry'].get_text()
+			password = widgets['pass1_entry'].get_text().decode('utf-8')
 
 			if not self.modify:
 				if password == '':