diff --git a/src/python/pants/java/nailgun_protocol.py b/src/python/pants/java/nailgun_protocol.py
index 2220e82c145..a8198ab9375 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/java/nailgun_protocol.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/java/nailgun_protocol.py
@@ -85,9 +85,18 @@ class TruncatedPayloadError(TruncatedRead):
     """Raised if there is a socket error while reading the payload bytes."""
 
   @classmethod
-  def _decode_unicode_seq(cls, seq):
+  def _encode_unicode(cls, payload, encoding='utf-8'):
+    """Convert unicode to bytes."""
+    if isinstance(payload, six.text_type):
+      return payload.encode(encoding)
+    elif not isinstance(payload, six.binary_type):
+      raise TypeError('cannot encode type: {}'.format(type(payload)))
+    return payload
+
+  @classmethod
+  def _encode_unicode_seq(cls, seq):
     for item in seq:
-      yield item.decode('utf-8')
+      yield cls._encode_unicode(item)
 
   @classmethod
   def send_request(cls, sock, working_dir, command, *arguments, **environment):
@@ -98,7 +107,7 @@ def send_request(cls, sock, working_dir, command, *arguments, **environment):
     for item_tuple in environment.items():
       cls.write_chunk(sock,
                       ChunkType.ENVIRONMENT,
-                      cls.ENVIRON_SEP.join(cls._decode_unicode_seq(item_tuple)))
+                      cls.ENVIRON_SEP.join(cls._encode_unicode_seq(item_tuple)))
 
     cls.write_chunk(sock, ChunkType.WORKING_DIR, working_dir)
     cls.write_chunk(sock, ChunkType.COMMAND, command)
@@ -144,11 +153,7 @@ def write_chunk(cls, sock, chunk_type, payload=b''):
   @classmethod
   def construct_chunk(cls, chunk_type, payload, encoding='utf-8'):
     """Construct and return a single chunk."""
-    if isinstance(payload, six.text_type):
-      payload = payload.encode(encoding)
-    elif not isinstance(payload, six.binary_type):
-      raise TypeError('cannot encode type: {}'.format(type(payload)))
-
+    payload = cls._encode_unicode(payload)
     header = struct.pack(cls.HEADER_FMT, len(payload), chunk_type)
     return header + payload