diff --git a/deluge/core/core.py b/deluge/core/core.py
index 636d6b710..c9fcfd1e6 100644
--- a/deluge/core/core.py
+++ b/deluge/core/core.py
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ class Core(component.Component):
         """Set the config with values from dictionary"""
         # Load all the values into the configuration
         for key in config.keys():
-            if isinstance(config[key], unicode) or isinstance(config[key], str):
+            if isinstance(config[key], basestring):
                 config[key] = config[key].encode("utf8")
             self.config[key] = config[key]
 
diff --git a/deluge/ui/web/json_api.py b/deluge/ui/web/json_api.py
index f917c8826..28bb75746 100644
--- a/deluge/ui/web/json_api.py
+++ b/deluge/ui/web/json_api.py
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ class WebApi(JSONComponent):
         """
         web_config = component.get("DelugeWeb").config
         for key in config.keys():
-            if isinstance(config[key], unicode) or isinstance(config[key], str):
+            if isinstance(config[key], basestring):
                 config[key] = config[key].encode("utf8")
             web_config[key] = config[key]