diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 96a257781..237ea478f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 * Import errors when collecting test modules now display the full traceback (`#1976`_).
   Thanks `@cwitty`_ for the report and `@nicoddemus`_ for the PR.
 
-*
+* When loading plugins, import errors which contain non-ascii messages are now properly handled in Python 2 (`#1998`_).
+  Thanks `@nicoddemus`_ for the PR.
 
 *
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@
 .. _@cwitty: https://github.com/cwitty
 
 .. _#1976: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1976
+.. _#1998: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1998
 
 
 
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@
   (``pip install -e``) (`#1934`_).
   Thanks `@nicoddemus`_ for the PR.
 
-* Fix pkg_resources import error in Jython projects (`#1853`).
+* Fix pkg_resources import error in Jython projects (`#1853`_).
   Thanks `@raquel-ucl`_ for the PR.
 
 * Got rid of ``AttributeError: 'Module' object has no attribute '_obj'`` exception
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@
 .. _@axil: https://github.com/axil
 .. _@tgoodlet: https://github.com/tgoodlet
 
+.. _#1853: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1853
 .. _#1905: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1905
 .. _#1934: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1934
 .. _#1944: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1944
diff --git a/_pytest/compat.py b/_pytest/compat.py
index 1d8c2f331..51fc3bc5c 100644
--- a/_pytest/compat.py
+++ b/_pytest/compat.py
@@ -213,4 +213,18 @@ def _is_unittest_unexpected_success_a_failure():
         Changed in version 3.4: Returns False if there were any
         unexpectedSuccesses from tests marked with the expectedFailure() decorator.
     """
-    return sys.version_info >= (3, 4)
\ No newline at end of file
+    return sys.version_info >= (3, 4)
+
+
+if _PY3:
+    def safe_str(v):
+        """returns v as string"""
+        return str(v)
+else:
+    def safe_str(v):
+        """returns v as string, converting to ascii if necessary"""
+        try:
+            return str(v)
+        except UnicodeError:
+            errors = 'replace'
+            return v.encode('ascii', errors)
diff --git a/_pytest/config.py b/_pytest/config.py
index 661a8513d..a169a68a2 100644
--- a/_pytest/config.py
+++ b/_pytest/config.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import _pytest._code
 import _pytest.hookspec  # the extension point definitions
 import _pytest.assertion
 from _pytest._pluggy import PluginManager, HookimplMarker, HookspecMarker
+from _pytest.compat import safe_str
 
 hookimpl = HookimplMarker("pytest")
 hookspec = HookspecMarker("pytest")
@@ -405,7 +406,7 @@ class PytestPluginManager(PluginManager):
         try:
             __import__(importspec)
         except ImportError as e:
-            new_exc = ImportError('Error importing plugin "%s": %s' % (modname, e))
+            new_exc = ImportError('Error importing plugin "%s": %s' % (modname, safe_str(e.args[0])))
             # copy over name and path attributes
             for attr in ('name', 'path'):
                 if hasattr(e, attr):
diff --git a/testing/test_pluginmanager.py b/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
index 36847638d..e61c84247 100644
--- a/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
+++ b/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# encoding: UTF-8
 import pytest
 import py
 import os
@@ -179,15 +180,20 @@ def test_default_markers(testdir):
     ])
 
 
-def test_importplugin_issue375(testdir, pytestpm):
+def test_importplugin_error_message(testdir, pytestpm):
     """Don't hide import errors when importing plugins and provide
     an easy to debug message.
+
+    See #375 and #1998.
     """
     testdir.syspathinsert(testdir.tmpdir)
-    testdir.makepyfile(qwe="import aaaa")
+    testdir.makepyfile(qwe="""
+        # encoding: UTF-8
+        raise ImportError(u'Not possible to import: ☺')
+    """)
     with pytest.raises(ImportError) as excinfo:
         pytestpm.import_plugin("qwe")
-    expected = '.*Error importing plugin "qwe": No module named \'?aaaa\'?'
+    expected = '.*Error importing plugin "qwe": Not possible to import: .'
     assert py.std.re.match(expected, str(excinfo.value))