diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/git_export_utils.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/git_export_utils.py
index 42698db5a4..b4ae1dfe9e 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/git_export_utils.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/git_export_utils.py
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class GitExportError(Exception):
     Convenience exception class for git export error conditions.
     """
 
+    def __init__(self, message):
+        # Force the lazy i18n values to turn into actual unicode objects
+        super(GitExportError, self).__init__(unicode(message))
+
     NO_EXPORT_DIR = _("GIT_REPO_EXPORT_DIR not set or path {0} doesn't exist, "
                       "please create it, or configure a different path with "
                       "GIT_REPO_EXPORT_DIR").format(GIT_REPO_EXPORT_DIR)
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_git_export.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_git_export.py
index 0fa709ad0a..3b98c3db4a 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_git_export.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_git_export.py
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
 
         # Send bad url to get course not exported
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ex:
-            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, str(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
+            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, unicode(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
                 call_command('git_export', 'foo/bar/baz', 'silly',
                              stderr=StringIO.StringIO())
         self.assertEqual(ex.exception.code, 1)
         # Send bad course_id to get course not exported
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ex:
-            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, str(GitExportError.BAD_COURSE)):
+            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, unicode(GitExportError.BAD_COURSE)):
                 call_command('git_export', 'foo/bar:baz', 'silly',
                              stderr=StringIO.StringIO())
         self.assertEqual(ex.exception.code, 1)
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
         """
         output = StringIO.StringIO()
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
-            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, str(GitExportError.BAD_COURSE)):
+            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, unicode(GitExportError.BAD_COURSE)):
                 call_command(
                     'git_export', 'foo/bar:baz', 'silly',
                     stdout=output, stderr=output
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
 
         output = StringIO.StringIO()
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
-            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, str(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
+            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CommandError, unicode(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
                 call_command(
                     'git_export', 'foo/bar/baz', 'silly',
                     stdout=output, stderr=output
@@ -113,14 +113,14 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
         Test several bad URLs for validation
         """
         course_key = SlashSeparatedCourseKey('org', 'course', 'run')
-        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError, str(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError, unicode(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(course_key, 'Sillyness')
 
-        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError, str(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError, unicode(GitExportError.URL_BAD)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(course_key, 'example.com:edx/notreal')
 
         with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError,
-                                     str(GitExportError.URL_NO_AUTH)):
+                                     unicode(GitExportError.URL_NO_AUTH)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(course_key, 'http://blah')
 
     def test_bad_git_repos(self):
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
         course_key = SlashSeparatedCourseKey('foo', 'blah', '100-')
         # Test bad clones
         with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError,
-                                     str(GitExportError.CANNOT_PULL)):
+                                     unicode(GitExportError.CANNOT_PULL)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(
                 course_key,
                 'https://user:blah@example.com/test_repo.git')
@@ -140,14 +140,14 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
 
         # Setup good repo with bad course to test xml export
         with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError,
-                                     str(GitExportError.XML_EXPORT_FAIL)):
+                                     unicode(GitExportError.XML_EXPORT_FAIL)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(
                 course_key,
                 'file://{0}'.format(self.bare_repo_dir))
 
         # Test bad git remote after successful clone
         with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError,
-                                     str(GitExportError.CANNOT_PULL)):
+                                     unicode(GitExportError.CANNOT_PULL)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(
                 course_key,
                 'https://user:blah@example.com/r.git')
@@ -204,6 +204,6 @@ class TestGitExport(CourseTestCase):
         )
 
         with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GitExportError,
-                                     str(GitExportError.CANNOT_COMMIT)):
+                                     unicode(GitExportError.CANNOT_COMMIT)):
             git_export_utils.export_to_git(
                 self.course.id, 'file://{0}'.format(self.bare_repo_dir))