diff --git a/osc/util/rpmquery.py b/osc/util/rpmquery.py
index 534636a7..535cd37e 100644
--- a/osc/util/rpmquery.py
+++ b/osc/util/rpmquery.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os
 import re
 import struct
 from . import packagequery
+from osc.util.helper import decode_it
+
+def cmp(a, b):
+    return (a > b) - (a < b)
 
 class RpmError(packagequery.PackageError):
     pass
@@ -184,14 +188,14 @@ class RpmQuery(packagequery.PackageQuery, packagequery.PackageQueryResult):
                     continue
             # RPMSENSE_SENSEMASK = 15 (see rpmlib.h) but ignore RPMSENSE_SERIAL (= 1 << 0) therefore use 14
             if flags & 14:
-                name += ' '
+                name += b' '
                 if flags & self.GREATER:
-                    name += '>'
+                    name += b'>'
                 elif flags & self.LESS:
-                    name += '<'
+                    name += b'<'
                 if flags & self.EQUAL:
-                    name += '='
-                name += ' %s' % ver
+                    name += b'='
+                name += b' %s' % ver
             res.append(name)
         return res
 
@@ -288,7 +292,7 @@ class RpmQuery(packagequery.PackageQuery, packagequery.PackageQueryResult):
             arch = 'src'
         else:
             arch = self.arch()
-        return RpmQuery.filename(self.name(), None, self.version(), self.release(), arch)
+        return RpmQuery.filename(decode_it(self.name()), None, decode_it(self.version()), decode_it(self.release()), decode_it(arch))
 
     @staticmethod
     def query(filename):
@@ -318,6 +322,8 @@ class RpmQuery(packagequery.PackageQuery, packagequery.PackageQueryResult):
         if ver1 == ver2:
             return 0
         res = 0
+        ver1 = decode_it(ver1)
+        ver2 = decode_it(ver2)
         while res == 0:
             # remove all leading non alphanumeric or tilde chars
             ver1 = re.sub('^[^a-zA-Z0-9~]*', '', ver1)