diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index a186e018a0..fc437e236e 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import re
 import copy
 from urlparse import urljoin
 import os.path
+import six
 
 # Django
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -1447,7 +1448,7 @@ class InventorySource(UnifiedJobTemplate, InventorySourceOptions):
             if '_eager_fields' not in kwargs:
                 kwargs['_eager_fields'] = {}
             if 'name' not in kwargs['_eager_fields']:
-                name = '{} - {}'.format(self.inventory.name, self.name)
+                name = six.text_type('{} - {}').format(self.inventory.name, self.name)
                 name_field = self._meta.get_field('name')
                 if len(name) > name_field.max_length:
                     name = name[:name_field.max_length]
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_inventory.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_inventory.py
index 164cce4844..63401f46f0 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/models/test_inventory.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 import pytest
 import mock
+import six
 
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 
@@ -156,6 +159,14 @@ def test_inventory_update_name(inventory, inventory_source):
     assert iu.name == inventory.name + ' - ' + inventory_source.name
 
 
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_inventory_name_with_unicode(inventory, inventory_source):
+    inventory.name = six.u('オオオ')
+    inventory.save()
+    iu = inventory_source.update()
+    assert iu.name.startswith(inventory.name)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_inventory_update_excessively_long_name(inventory, inventory_source):
     inventory.name = 'a' * 400  # field max length 512