diff --git a/zephyr/models.py b/zephyr/models.py
index ad029fd4a2..7e5f0c6cc1 100644
--- a/zephyr/models.py
+++ b/zephyr/models.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class Zephyr(models.Model):
                 'display_recipient': get_display_recipient(self.recipient),
                 'recipient_id'     : self.recipient.id,
                 'instance'         : self.instance,
-                'content'          : md_engine.convert(self.content),
+                'content'          : md_engine.convert(self.content.decode("utf-8")),
                 'timestamp'        : calendar.timegm(self.pub_date.timetuple()),
                 'gravatar_hash'    : hashlib.md5(self.sender.user.email.lower()).hexdigest(),
                 }
diff --git a/zephyr/zephyr_mirror.py b/zephyr/zephyr_mirror.py
index 9d0f13245d..0c1b612154 100644
--- a/zephyr/zephyr_mirror.py
+++ b/zephyr/zephyr_mirror.py
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ import time
 import subprocess
 import optparse
 import os
+import markdown
+md_engine = markdown.Markdown(
+    extensions    = ['fenced_code', 'codehilite'],
+    safe_mode     = True,
+    output_format = 'xhtml' )
+
 zephyr.init()
 
 parser = optparse.OptionParser()
@@ -72,12 +78,10 @@ def send_humbug(zeph):
 
     humbug_data = []
     for key in zeph.keys():
-        try: val = zeph[key].decode("utf-8").encode("utf-8")
-        except:
-            try:
-                val = zeph[key].encode("utf-8")
-            except:
-                print "wtf!", zeph[key]
+        if isinstance(zeph[key], unicode):
+            val = zeph[key].encode("utf-8")
+        elif isinstance(zeph[key], str):
+            val = zeph[key].decode("utf-8")
         humbug_data.append((key, val))
     browser.open("https://app.humbughq.com/forge_zephyr/", urllib.urlencode(humbug_data))