diff --git a/kallithea/lib/rcmail/response.py b/kallithea/lib/rcmail/response.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/rcmail/response.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/rcmail/response.py
@@ -346,13 +346,13 @@ def to_message(mail, separator="; "):
 
     for k in mail.keys():
         if k in ADDRESS_HEADERS_WHITELIST:
-            out[k.encode('ascii')] = header_to_mime_encoding(
+            out[k] = header_to_mime_encoding(
                                          mail[k],
                                          not_email=False,
                                          separator=separator
                                      )
         else:
-            out[k.encode('ascii')] = header_to_mime_encoding(
+            out[k] = header_to_mime_encoding(
                                          mail[k],
                                          not_email=True
                                     )
@@ -443,12 +443,12 @@ def properly_encode_header(value, encode
     check different, then change this.
     """
     try:
-        return value.encode("ascii")
-    except UnicodeEncodeError:
+        value.encode("ascii")
+        return value
+    except UnicodeError:
         if not not_email and VALUE_IS_EMAIL_ADDRESS(value):
             # this could have an email address, make sure we don't screw it up
             name, address = parseaddr(value)
-            return '"%s" <%s>' % (
-                encoder.header_encode(name.encode("utf-8")), address)
+            return '"%s" <%s>' % (encoder.header_encode(name), address)
 
-        return encoder.header_encode(value.encode("utf-8"))
+        return encoder.header_encode(value)
diff --git a/kallithea/tests/other/test_mail.py b/kallithea/tests/other/test_mail.py
--- a/kallithea/tests/other/test_mail.py
+++ b/kallithea/tests/other/test_mail.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 import mock
 
 import kallithea
@@ -144,9 +146,9 @@ class TestMail(base.TestController):
 
     def test_send_mail_with_author_full_mail_from(self):
         mailserver = 'smtp.mailserver.org'
-        recipients = ['rcpt1', 'rcpt2']
+        recipients = ['ræcpt1', 'receptor2 <rcpt2@example.com>', 'tæst@example.com', 'Tæst <test@example.com>']
         envelope_addr = 'noreply@mailserver.org'
-        envelope_from = 'Some Name <%s>' % envelope_addr
+        envelope_from = 'Söme Næme <%s>' % envelope_addr
         subject = 'subject'
         body = 'body'
         html_body = 'html_body'