diff --git a/plugins/RSS/plugin.py b/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
index 7481cb31e..0617a1264 100644
--- a/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
@@ -288,8 +288,14 @@ class RSS(callbacks.Plugin):
     def _getConverter(self, feed):
         toText = utils.web.htmlToText
         if 'encoding' in feed:
-            return lambda s: toText(s).strip().encode(feed['encoding'],
-                                                      'replace')
+            def conv(s):
+                # encode() first so there implicit encoding doesn't happen in
+                # other functions when unicode and bytestring objects are used
+                # together
+                s = s.encode(feed['encoding'], 'replace')
+                s = toText(s).strip()
+                return s
+            return conv
         else:
             return lambda s: toText(s).strip()