Index: lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_11_to_12.py
===================================================================
--- lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_11_to_12.py
+++ lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_11_to_12.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         name = info.pop('name', None)
         if name is not None:
             info['hostname'] = name
-        machine.Parameters = json.dumps(sorted(info.items()))
+        machine.Parameters = json.dumps(sorted(info.items())).encode("utf-8")
 
     session.commit()
     session.close()
Index: lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_1_to_2.py
===================================================================
--- lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_1_to_2.py
+++ lnt/server/db/migrations/upgrade_1_to_2.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
         # Update the run info.
         run_info['inferred_run_order'] = run_order
         run_info['__report_version__'] = '1'
-        run.Parameters = json.dumps(sorted(run_info.items()))
+        run.Parameters = json.dumps(sorted(run_info.items())).encode('utf-8')
 
         if run_order != orig_order:
             # Lookup the new run order.
Index: lnt/server/db/testsuite.py
===================================================================
--- lnt/server/db/testsuite.py
+++ lnt/server/db/testsuite.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
 
     def __init__(self, testsuite_name, data):
         self.testsuite_name = testsuite_name
-        self.jsonschema = json.dumps(data, encoding='utf-8', sort_keys=True)
+        self.jsonschema = json.dumps(data, sort_keys=True).encode('utf-8')
 
 
 class TestSuite(Base):
Index: lnt/server/db/testsuitedb.py
===================================================================
--- lnt/server/db/testsuitedb.py
+++ lnt/server/db/testsuitedb.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 
             @parameters.setter
             def parameters(self, data):
-                self.parameters_data = json.dumps(sorted(data.items()))
+                self.parameters_data = json.dumps(sorted(data.items())).encode("utf-8")
 
             def get_baseline_run(self, session):
                 ts = Machine.testsuite
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@
 
             @parameters.setter
             def parameters(self, data):
-                self.parameters_data = json.dumps(sorted(data.items()))
+                self.parameters_data = json.dumps(sorted(data.items())).encode("utf-8")
 
             def __json__(self, flatten_order=True):
                 result = {
Index: tests/SharedInputs/SmallInstance/data/lnt_db_create.sql
===================================================================
--- tests/SharedInputs/SmallInstance/data/lnt_db_create.sql
+++ tests/SharedInputs/SmallInstance/data/lnt_db_create.sql
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 );
 INSERT INTO "NT_Machine" ("Name", "Parameters", "hardware", "os")
  VALUES('localhost__clang_DEV__x86_64',
-        '[["name", "localhost"], ["uname", "Darwin localhost 11.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 11.3.0: Thu Jan 12 18:47:41 PST 2012; root:xnu-1699.24.23~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64"]]',
+        CAST('[["name", "localhost"], ["uname", "Darwin localhost 11.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 11.3.0: Thu Jan 12 18:47:41 PST 2012; root:xnu-1699.24.23~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64"]]' AS BLOB),
         'x86_64','Darwin 11.3.0'); -- ID 1
 CREATE TABLE "NT_Test" (
 	"ID" INTEGER PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,