diff --git a/Atomic/syscontainers.py b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
index 791a3ff..002b44b 100644
--- a/Atomic/syscontainers.py
+++ b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
         try:
             is_failed = self._systemctl_command("is-failed", name, quiet=True).replace("\n", "")
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            is_failed = e.output
+            is_failed = e.output.decode('utf-8')
             if is_failed.replace("\n", "") != "inactive":
                 return True
 
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
             try:
                 status = self._systemctl_command("status", name, quiet=True)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-                status = e.output
+                status = e.output.decode('utf-8')
             if 'FAILURE' in status:
                 return True
             else:
@@ -742,7 +742,7 @@ class SystemContainers(object):
         if not quiet:
             util.write_out(" ".join(cmd))
         if not self.display:
-            return util.check_output(cmd, stderr=DEVNULL)
+            return util.check_output(cmd, stderr=DEVNULL).decode('utf-8')
         return None
 
     def get_checkout(self, name):