diff --git a/src/Base/Exception.cpp b/src/Base/Exception.cpp
index 1efd8c0110..8f8cfc74cf 100644
--- a/src/Base/Exception.cpp
+++ b/src/Base/Exception.cpp
@@ -248,17 +248,13 @@ const char* XMLAttributeError::what() const throw()
 FileException::FileException(const char * sMessage, const char * sFileName)
   : Exception( sMessage ),file(sFileName)
 {
-    if (sFileName) {
-        _sErrMsgAndFileName = _sErrMsg + ": ";
-        _sErrMsgAndFileName += sFileName;
-    }
+    setFileName(sFileName);
 }
 
 FileException::FileException(const char * sMessage, const FileInfo& File)
   : Exception( sMessage ),file(File)
 {
-    _sErrMsgAndFileName = _sErrMsg + ": ";
-    _sErrMsgAndFileName += File.fileName();
+    setFileName(File.fileName().c_str());
 }
 
 FileException::FileException()
@@ -274,6 +270,15 @@ FileException::FileException(const FileException &inst)
 {
 }
 
+void FileException::setFileName(const char * sFileName) {
+    file.setFile(sFileName);
+    _sErrMsgAndFileName = _sErrMsg;
+    if (sFileName) {
+        _sErrMsgAndFileName += ": ";
+        _sErrMsgAndFileName += sFileName;
+    }
+}
+
 std::string FileException::getFileName() const
 {
     return file.fileName();
@@ -324,7 +329,7 @@ void FileException::setPyObject( PyObject * pydict)
 
         Py::Dict edict(pydict);
         if (edict.hasKey("filename"))
-            file.setFile(static_cast<std::string>(Py::String(edict.getItem("filename"))));
+            setFileName(Py::String(edict.getItem("filename")).as_std_string("utf-8").c_str());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Base/Exception.h b/src/Base/Exception.h
index 7fd38ce75a..0aff3c9e1f 100644
--- a/src/Base/Exception.h
+++ b/src/Base/Exception.h
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ protected:
   // necessary   for what() legacy behaviour as it returns a buffer that
   // can not be of a temporary object to be destroyed at end of what()
   std::string _sErrMsgAndFileName;
+  void setFileName(const char * sFileName=0);
 };
 
 /**