diff --git a/glanceclient/common/http.py b/glanceclient/common/http.py
index 2bc62573..f23db486 100644
--- a/glanceclient/common/http.py
+++ b/glanceclient/common/http.py
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ class VerifiedHTTPSConnection(HTTPSConnection):
             self.timeout = timeout
             self.insecure = insecure
             self.ssl_compression = ssl_compression
-            self.cacert = cacert
+            self.cacert = None if cacert is None else str(cacert)
             self.setcontext()
             # ssl exceptions are reported in various form in Python 3
             # so to be compatible, we report the same kind as under
diff --git a/tests/test_ssl.py b/tests/test_ssl.py
index fe3cc632..64ac3e42 100644
--- a/tests/test_ssl.py
+++ b/tests/test_ssl.py
@@ -274,3 +274,24 @@ class TestVerifiedHTTPSConnection(testtools.TestCase):
                 cacert=cacert, ssl_compression=False)
         except exc.SSLConfigurationError:
             self.fail('Failed to init VerifiedHTTPSConnection.')
+
+    def test_ssl_init_non_byte_string(self):
+        """
+        Test VerifiedHTTPSConnection class non byte string
+
+        Reproduces bug #1301849
+        """
+        key_file = os.path.join(TEST_VAR_DIR, 'privatekey.key')
+        cert_file = os.path.join(TEST_VAR_DIR, 'certificate.crt')
+        cacert = os.path.join(TEST_VAR_DIR, 'ca.crt')
+        # Note: we reproduce on python 2.6/2.7, on 3.3 the bug doesn't occur.
+        key_file = key_file.encode('ascii', 'strict').decode('utf-8')
+        cert_file = cert_file.encode('ascii', 'strict').decode('utf-8')
+        cacert = cacert.encode('ascii', 'strict').decode('utf-8')
+        try:
+            conn = http.VerifiedHTTPSConnection('127.0.0.1', 0,
+                                                key_file=key_file,
+                                                cert_file=cert_file,
+                                                cacert=cacert)
+        except exc.SSLConfigurationError:
+            self.fail('Failed to init VerifiedHTTPSConnection.')