diff --git a/django/core/cache/backends/memcached.py b/django/core/cache/backends/memcached.py
index a40416d90dc..c456f7f3c3c 100644
--- a/django/core/cache/backends/memcached.py
+++ b/django/core/cache/backends/memcached.py
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ class BaseMemcachedCache(BaseCache):
 
     def add(self, key, value, timeout=0, version=None):
         key = self.make_key(key, version=version)
-        if isinstance(value, unicode):
-            value = value.encode('utf-8')
         return self._cache.add(key, value, self._get_memcache_timeout(timeout))
 
     def get(self, key, default=None, version=None):
@@ -118,8 +116,6 @@ class BaseMemcachedCache(BaseCache):
         safe_data = {}
         for key, value in data.items():
             key = self.make_key(key, version=version)
-            if isinstance(value, unicode):
-                value = value.encode('utf-8')
             safe_data[key] = value
         self._cache.set_multi(safe_data, self._get_memcache_timeout(timeout))
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/cache/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/cache/tests.py
index 62d5eb6c87f..2832bcbdd94 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/cache/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/cache/tests.py
@@ -317,20 +317,48 @@ class BaseCacheTests(object):
             u'Iñtërnâtiônàlizætiøn': u'Iñtërnâtiônàlizætiøn2',
             u'ascii': {u'x' : 1 }
             }
+        # Test `set`
         for (key, value) in stuff.items():
             self.cache.set(key, value)
             self.assertEqual(self.cache.get(key), value)
 
+        # Test `add`
+        for (key, value) in stuff.items():
+            self.cache.delete(key)
+            self.cache.add(key, value)
+            self.assertEqual(self.cache.get(key), value)
+
+        # Test `set_many`
+        for (key, value) in stuff.items():
+            self.cache.delete(key)
+        self.cache.set_many(stuff)
+        for (key, value) in stuff.items():
+            self.assertEqual(self.cache.get(key), value)
+
     def test_binary_string(self):
         # Binary strings should be cachable
         from zlib import compress, decompress
         value = 'value_to_be_compressed'
         compressed_value = compress(value)
+
+        # Test set
         self.cache.set('binary1', compressed_value)
         compressed_result = self.cache.get('binary1')
         self.assertEqual(compressed_value, compressed_result)
         self.assertEqual(value, decompress(compressed_result))
 
+        # Test add
+        self.cache.add('binary1-add', compressed_value)
+        compressed_result = self.cache.get('binary1-add')
+        self.assertEqual(compressed_value, compressed_result)
+        self.assertEqual(value, decompress(compressed_result))
+
+        # Test set_many
+        self.cache.set_many({'binary1-set_many': compressed_value})
+        compressed_result = self.cache.get('binary1-set_many')
+        self.assertEqual(compressed_value, compressed_result)
+        self.assertEqual(value, decompress(compressed_result))
+
     def test_set_many(self):
         # Multiple keys can be set using set_many
         self.cache.set_many({"key1": "spam", "key2": "eggs"})