diff --git a/tools/patman/settings.py b/tools/patman/settings.py
index ca4334426b..ea2bc74f75 100644
--- a/tools/patman/settings.py
+++ b/tools/patman/settings.py
@@ -58,25 +58,25 @@ class _ProjectConfigParser(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
     >>> config = _ProjectConfigParser("zzz")
     >>> config.readfp(StringIO(sample_config))
     >>> config.get("alias", "enemies")
-    'Evil <evil@example.com>'
+    u'Evil <evil@example.com>'
 
     # Check to make sure that alias gets overridden by project.
     >>> config = _ProjectConfigParser("sm")
     >>> config.readfp(StringIO(sample_config))
     >>> config.get("alias", "enemies")
-    'Green G. <ugly@example.com>'
+    u'Green G. <ugly@example.com>'
 
     # Check to make sure that settings get merged with project.
     >>> config = _ProjectConfigParser("linux")
     >>> config.readfp(StringIO(sample_config))
     >>> sorted(config.items("settings"))
-    [('am_hero', 'True'), ('process_tags', 'False')]
+    [(u'am_hero', u'True'), (u'process_tags', u'False')]
 
     # Check to make sure that settings works with unknown project.
     >>> config = _ProjectConfigParser("unknown")
     >>> config.readfp(StringIO(sample_config))
     >>> sorted(config.items("settings"))
-    [('am_hero', 'True')]
+    [(u'am_hero', u'True')]
     """
     def __init__(self, project_name):
         """Construct _ProjectConfigParser.
@@ -99,6 +99,17 @@ class _ProjectConfigParser(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
         for setting_name, setting_value in project_defaults.items():
             self.set(project_settings, setting_name, setting_value)
 
+    def _to_unicode(self, val):
+        """Make sure a value is of type 'unicode'
+
+        Args:
+            val: string or unicode object
+
+        Returns:
+            unicode version of val
+        """
+        return val if isinstance(val, unicode) else val.decode('utf-8')
+
     def get(self, section, option, *args, **kwargs):
         """Extend SafeConfigParser to try project_section before section.
 
@@ -108,14 +119,15 @@ class _ProjectConfigParser(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
             See SafeConfigParser.
         """
         try:
-            return ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser.get(
+            val = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser.get(
                 self, "%s_%s" % (self._project_name, section), option,
                 *args, **kwargs
             )
         except (ConfigParser.NoSectionError, ConfigParser.NoOptionError):
-            return ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser.get(
+            val = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser.get(
                 self, section, option, *args, **kwargs
             )
+        return self._to_unicode(val)
 
     def items(self, section, *args, **kwargs):
         """Extend SafeConfigParser to add project_section to section.
@@ -150,7 +162,8 @@ class _ProjectConfigParser(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
 
         item_dict = dict(top_items)
         item_dict.update(project_items)
-        return item_dict.items()
+        return {(self._to_unicode(item), self._to_unicode(val))
+                for item, val in item_dict.iteritems()}
 
 def ReadGitAliases(fname):
     """Read a git alias file. This is in the form used by git: