diff --git a/plugins/RSS/plugin.py b/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
index 11f6494a2..065486507 100644
--- a/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/RSS/plugin.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import types
 import socket
 import threading
 import re
+import sys
 
 import supybot.conf as conf
 import supybot.utils as utils
@@ -155,17 +156,22 @@ class RSS(callbacks.Plugin):
             if self.registryValue(dateconfig, channel):
                 if headline[2]:
                     pubDate = ' [%s]' % (headline[2],)
-            try:
+            if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
+                if isinstance(headline[0], unicode):
+                    newheadlines.append(format('%s %u%s',
+                                                headline[0].encode('utf-8','replace'),
+                                                link,
+                                                pubDate))
+                else:
+                    newheadlines.append(format('%s %u%s',
+                                                headline[0].decode('utf-8','replace'),
+                                                link,
+                                                pubDate))
+            else:
                 newheadlines.append(format('%s %u%s',
-                                           headline[0],
-                                           link,
-                                           pubDate))
-            except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                newheadlines.append(format('%s %u%s',
-                                           headline[0].decode('utf8',
-                                                              'replace'),
-                                           link,
-                                           pubDate))
+                                            headline[0],
+                                            link,
+                                            pubDate))
         return newheadlines
 
     def _newHeadlines(self, irc, channels, name, url):
diff --git a/plugins/Web/plugin.py b/plugins/Web/plugin.py
index 6b88800be..79c809ba5 100644
--- a/plugins/Web/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Web/plugin.py
@@ -153,10 +153,8 @@ class Web(callbacks.PluginRegexp):
                 domain = utils.web.getDomain(url)
                 title = utils.web.htmlToText(parser.title.strip())
                 if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
-                    try:
+                    if isinstance(title, unicode):
                         title = title.encode('utf8', 'replace')
-                    except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                        pass
                 s = format(_('Title: %s (at %s)'), title, domain)
                 irc.reply(s, prefixNick=False)
     titleSnarfer = urlSnarfer(titleSnarfer)
diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index 66f5ee01f..86a4c9f56 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -450,11 +450,17 @@ def format(s, *args, **kwargs):
         if char == 's':
             token = args.pop()
             if isinstance(token, str):
-                return token
+                if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
+                    return token.decode('utf-8','replace')
+                else:
+                    return token
             elif sys.version_info[0] < 3 and isinstance(token, unicode):
-                return token.encode('utf8')
+                return token.encode('utf8', 'replace')
             else:
-                return str(token)
+                if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
+                    return str(token).decode('utf-8','replace')
+                else:
+                    return str(token)
         elif char == 'i':
             # XXX Improve me!
             return str(args.pop())