diff --git a/kallithea/model/db.py b/kallithea/model/db.py
--- a/kallithea/model/db.py
+++ b/kallithea/model/db.py
@@ -969,9 +969,9 @@ class Repository(Base, BaseModel):
     DEFAULT_CLONE_URI = '{scheme}://{user}@{netloc}/{repo}'
     DEFAULT_CLONE_URI_ID = '{scheme}://{user}@{netloc}/_{repoid}'
 
-    STATE_CREATED = 'repo_state_created'
-    STATE_PENDING = 'repo_state_pending'
-    STATE_ERROR = 'repo_state_error'
+    STATE_CREATED = u'repo_state_created'
+    STATE_PENDING = u'repo_state_pending'
+    STATE_ERROR = u'repo_state_error'
 
     repo_id = Column(Integer(), primary_key=True)
     repo_name = Column(Unicode(255), nullable=False, unique=True)
diff --git a/kallithea/templates/data_table/_dt_elements.html b/kallithea/templates/data_table/_dt_elements.html
--- a/kallithea/templates/data_table/_dt_elements.html
+++ b/kallithea/templates/data_table/_dt_elements.html
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@
 
 <%def name="repo_state(repo_state)">
   <div>
-    %if repo_state == 'repo_state_pending':
+    %if repo_state == u'repo_state_pending':
         <div class="btn btn-mini btn-info disabled">${_('Creating')}</div>
-    %elif repo_state == 'repo_state_created':
+    %elif repo_state == u'repo_state_created':
         <div class="btn btn-mini btn-success disabled">${_('Created')}</div>
     %else:
         <div class="btn btn-mini btn-danger disabled" title="${repo_state}">invalid</div>