diff --git a/src/calibre/library/catalog.py b/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
index 32f2503b2c..672fd0d295 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class CSV_XML(CatalogPlugin):
 
         log = Log()
         self.fmt = path_to_output.rpartition('.')[2]
-        
+
         if False and opts.verbose:
             log("%s:run" % self.name)
             log(" path_to_output: %s" % path_to_output)
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class CSV_XML(CatalogPlugin):
             log(" opts:")
             for key in keys:
                 log("  %s: %s" % (key, opts_dict[key]))
-		
+
         # Get the sorted, filtered database as a dictionary
         data = self.search_sort_db(db, opts)
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class CSV_XML(CatalogPlugin):
             outfile = open(path_to_output, 'w')
 
             # Output the field headers
-            outfile.write('%s\n' % ','.join(fields))
+            outfile.write(u'%s\n' % u','.join(fields))
 
             # Output the entry fields
             for entry in data:
@@ -80,15 +80,15 @@ class CSV_XML(CatalogPlugin):
                         item = ', '.join(item)
                     if x < len(fields) - 1:
                         if item is not None:
-                            outstr += '"%s",' % str(item).replace('"','""')
+                            outstr += u'"%s",' % unicode(item).replace('"','""')
                         else:
                             outstr += '"",'
                     else:
                         if item is not None:
-                            outstr += '"%s"\n' % str(item).replace('"','""')
+                            outstr += u'"%s"\n' % unicode(item).replace('"','""')
                         else:
                             outstr += '""\n'
-                outfile.write(outstr)
+                outfile.write(outstr.encode('utf-8'))
             outfile.close()
 
         elif self.fmt == 'xml':