diff --git a/scrapy/extensions/httpcache.py b/scrapy/extensions/httpcache.py
index 02f9fcee6..91b3ef262 100644
--- a/scrapy/extensions/httpcache.py
+++ b/scrapy/extensions/httpcache.py
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ class RFC2616Policy(object):
     def __init__(self, settings):
         self.always_store = settings.getbool('HTTPCACHE_ALWAYS_STORE')
         self.ignore_schemes = settings.getlist('HTTPCACHE_IGNORE_SCHEMES')
-        self.ignore_response_cache_controls = settings.getlist('HTTPCACHE_IGNORE_RESPONSE_CACHE_CONTROLS')
+        self.ignore_response_cache_controls = map(
+            to_bytes, settings.getlist('HTTPCACHE_IGNORE_RESPONSE_CACHE_CONTROLS'))
         self._cc_parsed = WeakKeyDictionary()
 
     def _parse_cachecontrol(self, r):
diff --git a/tests/test_downloadermiddleware_httpcache.py b/tests/test_downloadermiddleware_httpcache.py
index 5a636cc53..4e0c72304 100644
--- a/tests/test_downloadermiddleware_httpcache.py
+++ b/tests/test_downloadermiddleware_httpcache.py
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ class RFC2616PolicyTest(DefaultStorageTest):
             self.assertEqualResponse(res2, res3)
             # request with no-cache directive must not return cached response
             # but it allows new response to be stored
-            res0b = res0.replace(body='foo')
+            res0b = res0.replace(body=b'foo')
             res4 = self._process_requestresponse(mw, req2, res0b)
             self.assertEqualResponse(res4, res0b)
             assert 'cached' not in res4.flags
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ class RFC2616PolicyTest(DefaultStorageTest):
                 assert 'cached' not in res1.flags
                 # Same request but as cached response is stale a new response must
                 # be returned
-                res0b = res0a.replace(body='bar')
+                res0b = res0a.replace(body=b'bar')
                 res2 = self._process_requestresponse(mw, req0, res0b)
                 self.assertEqualResponse(res2, res0b)
                 assert 'cached' not in res2.flags