diff --git a/proteus/__init__.py b/proteus/__init__.py
index fab1131d15..057f2ab508 100644
--- a/proteus/__init__.py
+++ b/proteus/__init__.py
@@ -497,6 +497,9 @@ class Model(object):
     @classmethod
     def get(cls, name, config=None):
         'Get a class for the named Model'
+        if isinstance(name, unicode):
+            name = name.encode('utf-8')
+
         class Spam(Model):
             __metaclass__ = MetaModelFactory(name, config=config)()
         return Spam