diff --git a/pagure/templates/repo_branches.html b/pagure/templates/repo_branches.html
index 0f7de20..acb8776 100644
--- a/pagure/templates/repo_branches.html
+++ b/pagure/templates/repo_branches.html
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
                     }}" method="post" class="icon d-inline"
                     onsubmit="return confirm('Are you sure you want to remove the branch: {{ branch | unicode }}?\nThis cannot be un-done!');">
                     {{ g.confirmationform.csrf_token }}
-                    <a title="Remove branch {{ branch }}" href="#"
+                    <a title="Remove branch {{ branch | unicode }}" href="#"
                       class="btn btn-outline-danger"
                       onclick="$('#delete_branch_form-{{
                         branch | unicode | replace('/', '__') | replace('.', '\\\\.')
diff --git a/pagure/ui/repo.py b/pagure/ui/repo.py
index 1236d41..db1b3c6 100644
--- a/pagure/ui/repo.py
+++ b/pagure/ui/repo.py
@@ -2564,6 +2564,9 @@ def delete_branch(repo, branchname, username=None, namespace=None):
             "this project",
         )
 
+    if six.PY2:
+        branchname = branchname.encode("utf-8")
+
     if branchname == "master":
         flask.abort(
             403, description="You are not allowed to delete the master branch"
diff --git a/tests/test_pagure_flask_ui_repo.py b/tests/test_pagure_flask_ui_repo.py
index 0cf9bb8..7759e40 100644
--- a/tests/test_pagure_flask_ui_repo.py
+++ b/tests/test_pagure_flask_ui_repo.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import time
 import os
 
 import pygit2
+import six
 from mock import ANY, patch, MagicMock
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(
@@ -5467,6 +5468,42 @@ index 0000000..fb7093d
             self.assertNotIn(
                 '<form id="delete_branch_form-feature__foo"', output_text)
 
+    def test_delete_branch_unicode(self):
+        """ Test the delete_branch endpoint with an unicode branch. """
+
+        tests.create_projects(self.session)
+        tests.create_projects_git(os.path.join(self.path, 'repos'), bare=True)
+
+        user = tests.FakeUser(username='pingou')
+        with tests.user_set(self.app.application, user):
+
+            # Add a branch that we can delete
+            path = os.path.join(self.path, 'repos', 'test.git')
+            tests.add_content_git_repo(path)
+            repo = pygit2.Repository(path)
+            branchname = '☃️'
+            if six.PY2:
+                branchname = branchname.encode("utf-8")
+            repo.create_branch(branchname, repo.head.peel())
+
+            # Check before deletion
+            output = self.app.get('/test')
+            self.assertEqual(output.status_code, 200)
+
+            output = self.app.get('/test/branches')
+            output_text = output.get_data(as_text=True)
+            self.assertIn('<form id="delete_branch_form-☃️"', output_text)
+
+            # Delete the branch
+            output = self.app.post('/test/b/☃️/delete', follow_redirects=True)
+            self.assertEqual(output.status_code, 200)
+
+            # Check after deletion
+            output = self.app.get('/test/branches')
+            output_text = output.get_data(as_text=True)
+            self.assertNotIn(
+                '<form id="delete_branch_form-☃️"', output_text)
+
     @patch.dict('pagure.config.config', {'ALLOW_DELETE_BRANCH': False})
     def test_delete_branch_disabled_in_ui(self):
         """ Test that the delete branch button doesn't show when the feature