diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 05c868079..6eae9b1d1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ Changes
 
 * Add ``venv`` to the default ``norecursedirs`` setting.
   Thanks `@The-Compiler`_ for the PR.
+  
+* ``PluginManager.import_plugin`` now accepts unicode plugin names in Python 2.
+  Thanks `@reutsharabani`_ for the PR.
 
 
 Bug Fixes
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ Bug Fixes
 .. _@fogo: https://github.com/fogo
 .. _@mandeep: https://github.com/mandeep
 .. _@MichalTHEDUDE: https://github.com/MichalTHEDUDE
+.. _@reutsharabani: https://github.com/reutsharabani
 .. _@unsignedint: https://github.com/unsignedint
 .. _@Kriechi: https://github.com/Kriechi
 
diff --git a/_pytest/config.py b/_pytest/config.py
index db37280ca..306d9a123 100644
--- a/_pytest/config.py
+++ b/_pytest/config.py
@@ -415,7 +415,8 @@ class PytestPluginManager(PluginManager):
         # "terminal" or "capture".  Those plugins are registered under their
         # basename for historic purposes but must be imported with the
         # _pytest prefix.
-        assert isinstance(modname, str), "module name as string required, got %r" % modname
+        assert isinstance(modname, (py.builtin.text, str)), "module name as text required, got %r" % modname
+        modname = str(modname)
         if self.get_plugin(modname) is not None:
             return
         if modname in builtin_plugins:
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index fe02d82f0..85dd83969 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -793,3 +793,17 @@ def test_zipimport_hook(testdir, tmpdir):
     assert result.ret == 0
     result.stderr.fnmatch_lines(['*not found*foo*'])
     assert 'INTERNALERROR>' not in result.stdout.str()
+
+
+def test_import_plugin_unicode_name(testdir):
+    testdir.makepyfile(
+        myplugin='',
+    )
+    testdir.makepyfile("""
+        def test(): pass
+    """)
+    testdir.makeconftest("""
+        pytest_plugins = [u'myplugin']
+    """)
+    r = testdir.runpytest()
+    assert r.ret == 0