diff --git a/Lib/test/test_locale.py b/Lib/test/test_locale.py
index eba2cfd..2dd6510 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_locale.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_locale.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
 
 # Test BSD Rune locale's bug for isctype functions.
 def teststrop(s, method, output):
+    s = str8(s)
     if verbose:
         print("%s.%s() =? %s ..." % (repr(s), method, repr(output)), end=' ')
     result = getattr(s, method)()