diff --git a/osc/util/packagequery.py b/osc/util/packagequery.py
index 03a84e49..ac2c74c3 100644
--- a/osc/util/packagequery.py
+++ b/osc/util/packagequery.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 from __future__ import print_function
+from osc.util.helper import decode_it
 
 class PackageError(Exception):
     """base class for all package related errors"""
@@ -30,11 +31,11 @@ class PackageQueries(dict):
         self.__setitem__(query.name(), query)
 
     def __setitem__(self, name, query):
-        if name != query.name():
+        if decode_it(name) != decode_it(query.name()):
             raise ValueError("key '%s' does not match "
                              "package query name '%s'" % (name, query.name()))
 
-        architecture = query.arch()
+        architecture = decode_it(query.arch())
 
         if (architecture in [self.wanted_architecture, 'noarch', 'all', 'any']
             or self.wanted_architecture in self.architectureMap.get(architecture,
@@ -149,16 +150,21 @@ class PackageQueryResult:
         raise NotImplementedError
 
     def evr(self):
-        evr = self.version()
+        evr = decode_it(self.version())
 
         if self.release():
-            evr += "-" + self.release()
+            evr += "-" + decode_it(self.release())
 
         epoch = self.epoch()
         if epoch is not None and epoch != 0:
             evr = epoch + ":" + evr 
         return evr 
 
+
+def cmp(a, b):
+    return (a > b) - (a < b)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import sys
     try: