diff --git a/src/App/PropertyStandard.cpp b/src/App/PropertyStandard.cpp
index f5c83a98a5..ddac0a85db 100644
--- a/src/App/PropertyStandard.cpp
+++ b/src/App/PropertyStandard.cpp
@@ -441,27 +441,48 @@ void PropertyEnumeration::setPyObject(PyObject *value)
             throw Base::ValueError(out.str());
         }
     }
-    else if (PyList_Check(value)) {
-        Py_ssize_t nSize = PyList_Size(value);
+    else if (PyUnicode_Check(value)) {
+        PyObject* unicode = PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(value);
+        std::string str = PyString_AsString(unicode);
+        Py_DECREF(unicode);
+        if (_enum.contains(str.c_str())) {
+            aboutToSetValue();
+            _enum.setValue(str);
+            hasSetValue();
+        }
+        else {
+            std::stringstream out;
+            out << "'" << str << "' is not part of the enumeration";
+            throw Base::ValueError(out.str());
+        }
+    }
+    else if (PySequence_Check(value)) {
+        Py_ssize_t nSize = PySequence_Size(value);
         std::vector<std::string> values;
         values.resize(nSize);
 
         for (Py_ssize_t i = 0; i < nSize; ++i) {
-            PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(value, i);
+            PyObject *item = PySequence_GetItem(value, i);
 
-            if ( !PyString_Check(item) ) {
-                std::string error = std::string("type in list must be str, not ");
+            if (PyString_Check(item)) {
+                values[i] = PyString_AsString(item);
+            }
+            else if (PyUnicode_Check(item)) {
+                PyObject* unicode = PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(item);
+                values[i] = PyString_AsString(unicode);
+                Py_DECREF(unicode);
+            }
+            else {
+                std::string error = std::string("type in list must be str or unicode, not ");
                 throw Base::TypeError(error + item->ob_type->tp_name);
             }
-
-            values[i] = PyString_AsString(item);
         }
 
         _enum.setEnums(values);
         setValue((long)0);
     }
     else {
-        std::string error = std::string("type must be int or str, not ");
+        std::string error = std::string("type must be int, str or unicode not ");
         throw Base::TypeError(error + value->ob_type->tp_name);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Gui/propertyeditor/PropertyItem.cpp b/src/Gui/propertyeditor/PropertyItem.cpp
index f3c75aac8e..106947677b 100644
--- a/src/Gui/propertyeditor/PropertyItem.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/propertyeditor/PropertyItem.cpp
@@ -1977,8 +1977,9 @@ void PropertyEnumItem::setValue(const QVariant& value)
         return;
     QStringList items = value.toStringList();
     if (!items.isEmpty()) {
-        QString val = items.front();
-        QString data = QString::fromLatin1("\"%1\"").arg(val);
+        QByteArray val = items.front().toUtf8();
+        std::string str = Base::Tools::escapedUnicodeFromUtf8(val);
+        QString data = QString::fromLatin1("u\"%1\"").arg(QString::fromStdString(str));
         setPropertyValue(data);
     }
 }
@@ -2007,12 +2008,12 @@ void PropertyEnumItem::setEditorData(QWidget *editor, const QVariant& data) cons
             const std::vector<std::string>& value = prop->getEnumVector();
             if (it == items.begin()) {
                 for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator jt = value.begin(); jt != value.end(); ++jt)
-                    commonModes << QLatin1String(jt->c_str());
+                    commonModes << QString::fromUtf8(jt->c_str());
             }
             else {
                 for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator jt = value.begin(); jt != value.end(); ++jt) {
-                    if (commonModes.contains(QLatin1String(jt->c_str())))
-                        modes << QLatin1String(jt->c_str());
+                    if (commonModes.contains(QString::fromUtf8(jt->c_str())))
+                        modes << QString::fromUtf8(jt->c_str());
                 }
 
                 commonModes = modes;