diff --git a/plugins/String/plugin.py b/plugins/String/plugin.py
index 5a4c4b123..8f2bc6428 100644
--- a/plugins/String/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/String/plugin.py
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ class String(callbacks.Plugin):
         http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/faq/3-6-6.html for more information
         about md5.
         """
-        irc.reply(utils.crypt.md5(text).hexdigest())
+        irc.reply(utils.crypt.md5(text.encode('utf8')).hexdigest())
     md5 = wrap(md5, ['text'])
 
     @internationalizeDocstring
diff --git a/plugins/String/test.py b/plugins/String/test.py
index da11bf1a3..fa8875923 100644
--- a/plugins/String/test.py
+++ b/plugins/String/test.py
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ class StringTestCase(PluginTestCase):
             i = ord(c)
             self.assertResponse('ord %s' % utils.str.dqrepr(c), str(i))
 
+    def testMd5(self):
+        self.assertResponse('md5 supybot', '630f4afcfb53c9e84c0a95064bd6add3')
+
+
     def testEncodeDecode(self):
         # This no longer works correctly.  It almost seems like were throwing
         # in a repr() somewhere.
diff --git a/src/plugin.py b/src/plugin.py
index 4008d479f..36aa03d42 100644
--- a/src/plugin.py
+++ b/src/plugin.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ def loadPluginModule(name, ignoreDeprecation=False):
         module = imp.load_module(name, *moduleInfo)
     except:
         sys.modules.pop(name, None)
-        for key in sys.modules:
+        keys = sys.modules.keys()
+        for key in keys:
             if key.startswith(name + '.'):
                 sys.modules.pop(key)
         raise