diff --git a/rq/compat/__init__.py b/rq/compat/__init__.py
index 9ce6e4e..ac9b7a9 100644
--- a/rq/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/rq/compat/__init__.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ else:
         if v is None:
             return None
         elif isinstance(v, bytes):
-            return v.decode('ascii')
+            return v.decode('utf-8')
         elif isinstance(v, str):
             return v
         else:
diff --git a/rq/job.py b/rq/job.py
index 6bf9189..42653e0 100644
--- a/rq/job.py
+++ b/rq/job.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ class Job(object):
     @classmethod
     def key_for(cls, job_id):
         """The Redis key that is used to store job hash under."""
-        return b'rq:job:' + job_id.encode('ascii')
+        return b'rq:job:' + job_id.encode('utf-8')
 
     @property
     def key(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_job.py b/tests/test_job.py
index 522f1a6..0f376ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_job.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
         job.save()
 
         expected_date = strip_milliseconds(job.created_at)
-        stored_date = self.testconn.hget(job.key, 'created_at').decode('ascii')
+        stored_date = self.testconn.hget(job.key, 'created_at').decode('utf-8')
         self.assertEquals(
                 times.to_universal(stored_date),
                 expected_date)
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
         job.save()
 
         expected_date = strip_milliseconds(job.created_at)
-        stored_date = self.testconn.hget(job.key, 'created_at').decode('ascii')
+        stored_date = self.testconn.hget(job.key, 'created_at').decode('utf-8')
         self.assertEquals(
                 times.to_universal(stored_date),
                 expected_date)