diff --git a/ceilometer/collector.py b/ceilometer/collector.py
index e89563ac2..727034572 100644
--- a/ceilometer/collector.py
+++ b/ceilometer/collector.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class CollectorService(service.DispatchedService, os_service.Service):
             # enough for anybody.
             data, source = udp.recvfrom(64 * units.Ki)
             try:
-                sample = msgpack.loads(data)
+                sample = msgpack.loads(data, encoding='utf-8')
             except Exception:
                 LOG.warn(_("UDP: Cannot decode data sent by %s"), str(source))
             else:
diff --git a/ceilometer/tests/test_collector.py b/ceilometer/tests/test_collector.py
index 7b5ba7982..0adebf3f8 100644
--- a/ceilometer/tests/test_collector.py
+++ b/ceilometer/tests/test_collector.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from stevedore import extension
 from ceilometer import collector
 from ceilometer import messaging
 from ceilometer.openstack.common.fixture import config
+from ceilometer.publisher import utils
 from ceilometer import sample
 from ceilometer.tests import base as tests_base
 
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
         self.CONF = self.useFixture(config.Config()).conf
         self.CONF.set_override("connection", "log://", group='database')
         self.srv = collector.CollectorService()
+        self.CONF.publisher.metering_secret = 'not-so-secret'
         self.counter = sample.Sample(
             name='foobar',
             type='bad',
@@ -55,6 +57,21 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
             resource_metadata={},
         ).as_dict()
 
+        self.utf8_msg = utils.meter_message_from_counter(
+            sample.Sample(
+                name=u'test',
+                type=sample.TYPE_CUMULATIVE,
+                unit=u'',
+                volume=1,
+                user_id=u'test',
+                project_id=u'test',
+                resource_id=u'test_run_tasks',
+                timestamp=u'NOW!',
+                resource_metadata={u'name': [([u'TestPublish'])]},
+                source=u'testsource',
+            ),
+            'not-so-secret')
+
     def _make_test_manager(self, plugin):
         return extension.ExtensionManager.make_test_instance([
             extension.Extension(
@@ -65,11 +82,11 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
             ),
         ])
 
-    def _make_fake_socket(self):
+    def _make_fake_socket(self, sample):
         def recvfrom(size):
             # Make the loop stop
             self.srv.stop()
-            return (msgpack.dumps(self.counter), ('127.0.0.1', 12345))
+            return msgpack.dumps(sample), ('127.0.0.1', 12345)
 
         sock = mock.Mock()
         sock.recvfrom = recvfrom
@@ -99,7 +116,7 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
         self.counter['counter_type'] = self.counter['type']
         self.counter['counter_unit'] = self.counter['unit']
 
-        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket()
+        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket(self.counter)
         with mock.patch('socket.socket', return_value=udp_socket):
             self.srv.start_udp()
 
@@ -120,7 +137,7 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
         self.counter['counter_type'] = self.counter['type']
         self.counter['counter_unit'] = self.counter['unit']
 
-        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket()
+        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket(self.counter)
         with mock.patch('socket.socket', return_value=udp_socket):
             self.srv.start_udp()
 
@@ -135,7 +152,7 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_udp_receive_bad_decoding(self):
         self.CONF.set_override('rpc_backend', '')
-        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket()
+        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket(self.counter)
         with mock.patch('socket.socket', return_value=udp_socket):
             with mock.patch('msgpack.loads', self._raise_error):
                 self.srv.start_udp()
@@ -147,7 +164,7 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
     def test_only_udp(self, udp_start, rpc_start):
         """Check that only UDP is started if rpc_backend is empty."""
         self.CONF.set_override('rpc_backend', '')
-        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket()
+        udp_socket = self._make_fake_socket(self.counter)
         with mock.patch('socket.socket', return_value=udp_socket):
             self.srv.start()
 
@@ -168,3 +185,16 @@ class TestCollector(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
         eventlet.sleep(0)
         self.assertEqual(1, rpc_start.call_count)
         self.assertEqual(0, udp_start.call_count)
+
+    def test_udp_receive_valid_encoding(self):
+        self.data_sent = []
+        with mock.patch('socket.socket',
+                        return_value=self._make_fake_socket(self.utf8_msg)):
+            self.srv.rpc_server = mock.MagicMock()
+            mock_dispatcher = mock.MagicMock()
+            self.srv.dispatcher_manager = \
+                self._make_test_manager(mock_dispatcher)
+            self.srv.start_udp()
+            self.assertTrue(utils.verify_signature(
+                mock_dispatcher.method_calls[0][1][0],
+                "not-so-secret"))