diff --git a/cli/util.py b/cli/util.py
index 8705d36..eff1b63 100644
--- a/cli/util.py
+++ b/cli/util.py
@@ -1,12 +1,32 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 
+db_encoding = 'utf8'
+
+def value_to_db(value):
+    if type(value) == unicode:
+        return value.encode(db_encoding)
+    return value
+
+def value_from_db(value):
+    if type(value) == str:
+        return unicode(value, db_encoding)
+    return value
+
 def execute_query(cursor, query, bindings):
     for (key, val) in bindings.items():
         if val == None:
             query = query.replace('%(' + key + ')d', 'NULL')
+    bindings = map_dict(value_to_db, bindings)
     cursor.execute(query, bindings)
 
+def fetchone(cursor):
+    return map(value_from_db, cursor.fetchone())
+
+def fetchall(cursor):
+    return map(lambda row: map(value_from_db, row),
+               cursor.fetchall())
+
 def make_result_dict(cursor, row):
     d = {}
     for i in xrange(len(row)):
@@ -14,14 +34,14 @@ def make_result_dict(cursor, row):
     return d
 
 def fetchone_dict(cursor):
-    row = cursor.fetchone()
+    row = fetchone(cursor)
     if row != None:
         return make_result_dict(cursor, row)
     return None
 
 def fetchall_dict(cursor):
     return map(lambda r: make_result_dict(cursor, r),
-               cursor.fetchall())
+               fetchall(cursor))
 
 def first(lst):
     return lst[0]
@@ -56,6 +76,12 @@ def mapcond(fun, predicate, lst):
         return x
     return map(mapfun, lst)
 
+def map_dict(fun, d):
+    res = {}
+    for key in d:
+        res[key] = fun(d[key])
+    return res
+
 def maptup(fun, lst):
     return tuple(map(fun, lst))