diff --git a/django/newforms/fields.py b/django/newforms/fields.py
index 9b1253de1f0..4a54a98d613 100644
--- a/django/newforms/fields.py
+++ b/django/newforms/fields.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ except NameError:
     from sets import Set as set
 
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from django.utils.encoding import StrAndUnicode, smart_unicode
+from django.utils.encoding import StrAndUnicode, smart_unicode, smart_str
 
 from util import ErrorList, ValidationError
 from widgets import TextInput, PasswordInput, HiddenInput, MultipleHiddenInput, FileInput, CheckboxInput, Select, NullBooleanSelect, SelectMultiple, DateTimeInput
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ class DecimalField(Field):
         super(DecimalField, self).clean(value)
         if not self.required and value in EMPTY_VALUES:
             return None
-        value = str(value).strip()
+        value = smart_str(value).strip()
         try:
             value = Decimal(value)
         except DecimalException:
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/forms/fields.py b/tests/regressiontests/forms/fields.py
index 1c436ce680d..cff5db6fca2 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/forms/fields.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/forms/fields.py
@@ -323,6 +323,10 @@ Decimal("3.14")
 Traceback (most recent call last):
 ...
 ValidationError: [u'Enter a number.']
+>>> f.clean(u'łąść')
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+...
+ValidationError: [u'Enter a number.']
 >>> f.clean('1.0 ')
 Decimal("1.0")
 >>> f.clean(' 1.0')