diff --git a/dm/tests/test_claim.py b/dm/tests/test_claim.py
index 168bb79fd4f9243b8d89ba516934341ae305b2bc..652336c4e320ec01a28f7715f46ce01295fcc76b 100644
--- a/dm/tests/test_claim.py
+++ b/dm/tests/test_claim.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class TestClaim(PersonFixtureMixin, TestCase):
 
         # Get and return the confirmation url from the result
         self.assertIn("/dm/claim/confirm", response.context["plaintext"])
-        self.assertIn(b"-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----", response.context["challenge"])
+        self.assertIn("-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----", response.context["challenge"])
         return identity, response.context["plaintext"].strip()
 
     def _test_success(self, person, issuer):
diff --git a/dm/views.py b/dm/views.py
index 3f6278046fd848b08a93bb0311d3dbc745da018f..ea13ce79ac8f8c8e6af309e3d68560e6cb5f062c 100644
--- a/dm/views.py
+++ b/dm/views.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Claim(VisitorMixin, FormView):
             # by unit tests without the need to have access to the private key
             # to decode it
             ctx["plaintext"] = plaintext
-            ctx["challenge"] = key.encrypt(plaintext.encode("utf8"))
+            ctx["challenge"] = key.encrypt(plaintext.encode("utf8")).decode("utf8")
         return ctx
 
     def form_valid(self, form):