diff --git a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/_links/service.py b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/_links/service.py
index 01edee6896186defca95aa10918dd5d1b5cfa293..e0f26a5b0f914ad6e95a72cbc5a8662000dc2667 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/_links/service.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/_links/service.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2015, Google Inc.
+# Copyright 2015-2016, Google Inc.
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ class _Kernel(object):
     call = service_acceptance.call
     call.accept(self._completion_queue, call)
     try:
-      group, method = service_acceptance.method.split('/')[1:3]
+      group, method = service_acceptance.method.split(b'/')[1:3]
     except ValueError:
       logging.info('Illegal path "%s"!', service_acceptance.method)
       return
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/beta/_server.py b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/beta/_server.py
index 2b520cc7e5f0c9d46d2ad59b476b3b8fa40f0108..12d16e6c18639e649e44c406701a1a03ddaadde3 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio/grpc/beta/_server.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio/grpc/beta/_server.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2015, Google Inc.
+# Copyright 2015-2016, Google Inc.
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class _GRPCServicer(base.Servicer):
       if e.code is None and e.details is None:
         raise base.NoSuchMethodError(
             interfaces.StatusCode.UNIMPLEMENTED,
-            b'Method "%s" of service "%s" not implemented!' % (method, group))
+            'Method "%s" of service "%s" not implemented!' % (method, group))
       else:
         raise