diff --git a/google/datalab/storage/commands/_storage.py b/google/datalab/storage/commands/_storage.py
index 9d5327214..32043a294 100644
--- a/google/datalab/storage/commands/_storage.py
+++ b/google/datalab/storage/commands/_storage.py
@@ -367,7 +367,9 @@ def _gcs_view(args, _):
   contents = _get_object_contents(args['object'])
   if not isinstance(contents, basestring):
     contents = str(contents)
-  lines = contents.split('\n')
+  elif isinstance(contents, bytes):
+    contents = str(contents, encoding='UTF-8')
+  lines = contents.splitlines()
   head_count = args['head']
   tail_count = args['tail']
   if len(lines) > head_count + tail_count:
diff --git a/google/datalab/utils/_http.py b/google/datalab/utils/_http.py
index 0254c96fc..c41a32ac0 100644
--- a/google/datalab/utils/_http.py
+++ b/google/datalab/utils/_http.py
@@ -43,7 +43,10 @@ def __init__(self, status, content):
     self.message = 'HTTP request failed'
     # Try extract a message from the body; swallow possible resulting ValueErrors and KeyErrors.
     try:
-      error = json.loads(content)['error']
+      if type(content) == str:
+        error = json.loads(content)['error']
+      else:
+        error = json.loads(str(content, encoding='UTF-8'))['error']
       if 'errors' in error:
         error = error['errors'][0]
       self.message += ': ' + error['message']