diff --git a/resources/lib/variables.py b/resources/lib/variables.py
index 0e032981..98c345f6 100644
--- a/resources/lib/variables.py
+++ b/resources/lib/variables.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ ADDON_VERSION = _ADDON.getAddonInfo('version')
 KODILANGUAGE = xbmc.getLanguage(xbmc.ISO_639_1)
 KODIVERSION = int(xbmc.getInfoLabel("System.BuildVersion")[:2])
 KODILONGVERSION = xbmc.getInfoLabel('System.BuildVersion')
-KODI_PROFILE = xbmc.translatePath("special://profile")
+KODI_PROFILE = tryDecode(xbmc.translatePath("special://profile"))
 
 if xbmc.getCondVisibility('system.platform.osx'):
     PLATFORM = "MacOSX"
diff --git a/service.py b/service.py
index 696a87b9..1c7fc843 100644
--- a/service.py
+++ b/service.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ sys_path.append(_base_resource)
 
 ###############################################################################
 
-from utils import settings, window, language as lang, dialog
+from utils import settings, window, language as lang, dialog, tryDecode
 from userclient import UserClient
 import initialsetup
 from kodimonitor import KodiMonitor
@@ -164,11 +164,12 @@ class Service():
         counter = 0
         while not monitor.abortRequested():
 
-            if window('plex_kodiProfile') != kodiProfile:
+            if tryDecode(window('plex_kodiProfile')) != kodiProfile:
                 # Profile change happened, terminate this thread and others
                 log.warn("Kodi profile was: %s and changed to: %s. "
                          "Terminating old PlexKodiConnect thread."
-                         % (kodiProfile, window('plex_kodiProfile')))
+                         % (kodiProfile,
+                            tryDecode(window('plex_kodiProfile'))))
                 break
 
             # Before proceeding, need to make sure: