diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py b/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
index de3dcca..9ded076 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from .utils import CliError, JobFailed, cli_logger, coerce_native, \
     save_status, storage_class_from_config, storage_instance_from_config
 
 from ..sync import sync
+from ..utils.compat import to_unicode
 
 
 def prepare_pair(wq, pair_name, collections, config, callback, **kwargs):
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@ def prepare_pair(wq, pair_name, collections, config, callback, **kwargs):
     # spawn one worker less because we can reuse the current one
     new_workers = -1
     for collection_name in (collections or all_collections):
+        # XXX: PY2 hack
+        if collection_name is not None:
+            collection_name = to_unicode(collection_name, 'utf-8')
         try:
             config_a, config_b = all_collections[collection_name]
         except KeyError:
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py b/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
index b36f58c..b29ab48 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/storage/base.py
@@ -114,7 +114,13 @@ class Storage(with_metaclass(StorageMeta)):
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return self.instance_name or '<{}(**{})>'.format(
+        try:
+            if self.instance_name:
+                return str(self.instance_name)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+
+        return '<{}(**{})>'.format(
             self.__class__.__name__,
             dict((x, getattr(self, x)) for x in self._repr_attributes)
         )