diff --git a/OpenSSL/_util.py b/OpenSSL/_util.py
index 7c606b9..baeecc6 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/_util.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/_util.py
@@ -6,15 +6,18 @@
 lib = binding.lib
 
 def exception_from_error_queue(exceptionType):
+    def text(charp):
+        return native(ffi.string(charp))
+
     errors = []
     while True:
         error = lib.ERR_get_error()
         if error == 0:
             break
         errors.append((
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_lib_error_string(error)),
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_func_error_string(error)),
-                ffi.string(lib.ERR_reason_error_string(error))))
+                text(lib.ERR_lib_error_string(error)),
+                text(lib.ERR_func_error_string(error)),
+                text(lib.ERR_reason_error_string(error))))
 
     raise exceptionType(errors)
 
diff --git a/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py b/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
index 51da99b..4e42f70 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py
@@ -1941,7 +1941,7 @@
         """
         passwd = 'whatever'
         e = self.assertRaises(Error, load_pkcs12, b'fruit loops', passwd)
-        self.assertEqual( e.args[0][0][0], b'asn1 encoding routines')
+        self.assertEqual( e.args[0][0][0], 'asn1 encoding routines')
         self.assertEqual( len(e.args[0][0]), 3)