diff --git a/anki/media.py b/anki/media.py
index 822982050..716da58ff 100644
--- a/anki/media.py
+++ b/anki/media.py
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class MediaManager(object):
     def hasIllegal(self, str):
         # a file that couldn't be decoded to unicode is considered invalid
         if not isinstance(str, unicode):
-            return False
+            return True
         return not not re.search(self._illegalCharReg, str)
 
     # Media syncing - bundling zip files to send to server
diff --git a/tests/test_media.py b/tests/test_media.py
index 4eb673768..e47ac8454 100644
--- a/tests/test_media.py
+++ b/tests/test_media.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 
-import tempfile, os, time
+import tempfile
+import os
+import time
+
 from shared import getEmptyDeck, testDir
 
+
 # copying files to media folder
 def test_add():
     d = getEmptyDeck()
@@ -100,8 +104,8 @@ def test_changes():
 
 def test_illegal():
     d = getEmptyDeck()
-    aString = "a:b|cd\\e/f\0g*h"
-    good = "abcdefgh"
+    aString = u"a:b|cd\\e/f\0g*h"
+    good = u"abcdefgh"
     assert d.media.stripIllegal(aString) == good
     for c in aString:
         bad = d.media.hasIllegal("somestring"+c+"morestring")