diff --git a/plugins/FunDB.py b/plugins/FunDB.py
index e3bee6c81..70c41011f 100755
--- a/plugins/FunDB.py
+++ b/plugins/FunDB.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class DbiFunDBDB(object):
             __metaclass__ = dbi.Record
             __fields__ = [
                 'by',
-                ('text', str),
+                'text',
                 ]
             
     def __init__(self):
diff --git a/plugins/Note.py b/plugins/Note.py
index d22a6496c..cf84b1d81 100644
--- a/plugins/Note.py
+++ b/plugins/Note.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class DbiNoteDB(dbi.DB):
             'notified',
             'read',
             'public',
-            ('text', str)
+            'text',
             ]
 
     def setRead(self, id):
diff --git a/src/dbi.py b/src/dbi.py
index 4643d02fd..105f7d769 100644
--- a/src/dbi.py
+++ b/src/dbi.py
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class Record(type):
                     setattr(self, name, defaults[name])
 
         def serialize(self):
-            return csv.join([str(getattr(self, name)) for name in fields])
+            return csv.join([repr(getattr(self, name)) for name in fields])
 
         def deserialize(self, s):
             unseenRecords = sets.Set(fields)