diff --git a/kallithea/controllers/api/__init__.py b/kallithea/controllers/api/__init__.py
--- a/kallithea/controllers/api/__init__.py
+++ b/kallithea/controllers/api/__init__.py
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ from tg import Response, TGController, r
 from webob.exc import HTTPError, HTTPException
 
 from kallithea.lib.auth import AuthUser
-from kallithea.lib.base import _get_access_path
 from kallithea.lib.base import _get_ip_addr as _get_ip
+from kallithea.lib.base import get_path_info
 from kallithea.lib.compat import json
-from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_str, safe_unicode
+from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_str
 from kallithea.model.db import User
 
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class JSONRPCController(TGController):
 
         log.info('IP: %s Request to %s time: %.3fs' % (
             self._get_ip_addr(environ),
-            safe_unicode(_get_access_path(environ)), time.time() - start)
+            get_path_info(environ), time.time() - start)
         )
 
         state.set_action(self._rpc_call, [])
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/base.py b/kallithea/lib/base.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/base.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/base.py
@@ -97,12 +97,13 @@ def _get_ip_addr(environ):
     return _filter_proxy(ip)
 
 
-def _get_access_path(environ):
-    """Return PATH_INFO from environ ... using tg.original_request if available."""
+def get_path_info(environ):
+    """Return unicode PATH_INFO from environ ... using tg.original_request if available.
+    """
     org_req = environ.get('tg.original_request')
     if org_req is not None:
         environ = org_req.environ
-    return environ.get('PATH_INFO')
+    return safe_unicode(environ['PATH_INFO'])
 
 
 def log_in_user(user, remember, is_external_auth, ip_addr):
@@ -526,7 +527,7 @@ class BaseController(TGController):
 
             log.info('IP: %s User: %s accessed %s',
                 request.ip_addr, request.authuser,
-                safe_unicode(_get_access_path(environ)),
+                get_path_info(environ),
             )
             return super(BaseController, self).__call__(environ, context)
         except webob.exc.HTTPException as e:
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/middleware/permanent_repo_url.py b/kallithea/lib/middleware/permanent_repo_url.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/middleware/permanent_repo_url.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/middleware/permanent_repo_url.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ middleware to handle permanent repo URLs
 
 
 from kallithea.lib.utils import fix_repo_id_name
-from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_str
+from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_str, safe_unicode
 
 
 class PermanentRepoUrl(object):
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ class PermanentRepoUrl(object):
         self.config = config
 
     def __call__(self, environ, start_response):
-        path_info = environ['PATH_INFO']
+        # Extract path_info as get_path_info does, but do it explicitly because
+        # we also have to do the reverse operation when patching it back in
+        path_info = safe_unicode(environ['PATH_INFO'])
         if path_info.startswith('/'): # it must
             path_info = '/' + safe_str(fix_repo_id_name(path_info[1:]))
             environ['PATH_INFO'] = path_info
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplegit.py b/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplegit.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplegit.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplegit.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Original author and date, and relevant c
 import logging
 import re
 
-from kallithea.lib.base import BaseVCSController
+from kallithea.lib.base import BaseVCSController, get_path_info
 from kallithea.lib.hooks import log_pull_action
 from kallithea.lib.middleware.pygrack import make_wsgi_app
 from kallithea.lib.utils import make_ui
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class SimpleGit(BaseVCSController):
 
     @classmethod
     def parse_request(cls, environ):
-        path_info = environ.get('PATH_INFO', '')
+        path_info = get_path_info(environ)
         m = GIT_PROTO_PAT.match(path_info)
         if m is None:
             return None
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplehg.py b/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplehg.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplehg.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/middleware/simplehg.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import urllib
 
-from kallithea.lib.base import BaseVCSController
+from kallithea.lib.base import BaseVCSController, get_path_info
 from kallithea.lib.utils import make_ui
 from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_str, safe_unicode
 from kallithea.lib.vcs.utils.hgcompat import hgweb_mod
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class SimpleHg(BaseVCSController):
         http_accept = environ.get('HTTP_ACCEPT', '')
         if not http_accept.startswith('application/mercurial'):
             return None
-        path_info = environ.get('PATH_INFO', '')
+        path_info = get_path_info(environ)
         if not path_info.startswith('/'): # it must!
             return None
 
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/middleware/wrapper.py b/kallithea/lib/middleware/wrapper.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/middleware/wrapper.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/middleware/wrapper.py
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ Original author and date, and relevant c
 import logging
 import time
 
-from kallithea.lib.base import _get_access_path, _get_ip_addr
-from kallithea.lib.utils2 import safe_unicode
+from kallithea.lib.base import _get_ip_addr, get_path_info
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ class RequestWrapper(object):
         meter = Meter(start_response)
         description = "Request from %s for %s" % (
             _get_ip_addr(environ),
-            safe_unicode(_get_access_path(environ)),
+            get_path_info(environ),
         )
         try:
             result = self.application(environ, meter.start_response)