diff --git a/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/http10.py b/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/http10.py
index 11b2acdae..0322bbe49 100644
--- a/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/http10.py
+++ b/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/http10.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 """
 from twisted.internet import reactor
 from scrapy.utils.misc import load_object
+from scrapy.utils.python import to_unicode
 
 
 class HTTP10DownloadHandler(object):
@@ -17,8 +18,8 @@ class HTTP10DownloadHandler(object):
         return factory.deferred
 
     def _connect(self, factory):
-        host, port = factory.host, factory.port
-        if factory.scheme == 'https':
+        host, port = to_unicode(factory.host), factory.port
+        if factory.scheme == b'https':
             return reactor.connectSSL(host, port, factory,
                                       self.ClientContextFactory())
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_downloader_handlers.py b/tests/test_downloader_handlers.py
index c017a9eb2..780f08806 100644
--- a/tests/test_downloader_handlers.py
+++ b/tests/test_downloader_handlers.py
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ class Http11TestCase(HttpTestCase):
         request = Request(self.getURL('file'))
         d = self.download_request(request, Spider('foo'))
         d.addCallback(lambda r: r.body)
-        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, "0123456789")
+        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, b"0123456789")
         return d
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class Http11TestCase(HttpTestCase):
         # response body. (regardless of headers)
         d = self.download_request(request, Spider('foo', download_maxsize=10))
         d.addCallback(lambda r: r.body)
-        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, "0123456789")
+        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, b"0123456789")
         yield d
 
         d = self.download_request(request, Spider('foo', download_maxsize=9))
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class Http11TestCase(HttpTestCase):
         request = Request(self.getURL('file'))
         d = self.download_request(request, Spider('foo', download_maxsize=100))
         d.addCallback(lambda r: r.body)
-        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, "0123456789")
+        d.addCallback(self.assertEquals, b"0123456789")
         return d