diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
index 4510aa84ae..537538dcf9 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
@@ -375,7 +375,9 @@ def check_transcripts(request):
             except NotFoundError:
                 log.debug(u"Can't find transcripts in storage for non-youtube video_id: %s", html5_id)
             if len(html5_subs) == 2:  # check html5 transcripts for equality
-                transcripts_presence['html5_equal'] = json.loads(html5_subs[0]) == json.loads(html5_subs[1])
+                transcripts_presence['html5_equal'] = (
+                    json.loads(html5_subs[0].decode('utf-8')) == json.loads(html5_subs[1].decode('utf-8'))
+                )
 
         command, __ = _transcripts_logic(transcripts_presence, videos)
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video.py
index 5b8457f68a..e66058b18c 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_video.py
@@ -1118,7 +1118,7 @@ class VideoBlockIndexingTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         descriptor = instantiate_descriptor(data=xml_data_transcripts)
         translations = descriptor.available_translations(descriptor.get_transcripts_info())
-        self.assertEqual(translations, ['hr', 'ge'])
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(translations), sorted(['hr', 'ge']))
 
     def test_video_with_no_transcripts_translation_retrieval(self):
         """