diff --git a/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py b/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
index 305c904ad3..ebdffee298 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from swift import gettext_ as _
 import json
 
 from six.moves.urllib.parse import unquote
+
 from swift.common.utils import public, csv_append, Timestamp, \
     config_true_value, ShardRange
 from swift.common.constraints import check_metadata, CONTAINER_LISTING_LIMIT
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ from swift.proxy.controllers.base import Controller, delay_denial, \
     cors_validation, set_info_cache, clear_info_cache
 from swift.common.storage_policy import POLICIES
 from swift.common.swob import HTTPBadRequest, HTTPForbidden, \
-    HTTPNotFound, HTTPServiceUnavailable
+    HTTPNotFound, HTTPServiceUnavailable, str_to_wsgi, wsgi_to_bytes
 
 
 class ContainerController(Controller):
@@ -187,9 +188,9 @@ class ContainerController(Controller):
             if end_marker and end_marker in shard_range:
                 params['end_marker'] = end_marker
             elif reverse:
-                params['end_marker'] = shard_range.lower_str
+                params['end_marker'] = str_to_wsgi(shard_range.lower_str)
             else:
-                params['end_marker'] = shard_range.end_marker
+                params['end_marker'] = str_to_wsgi(shard_range.end_marker)
 
             if (shard_range.account == self.account_name and
                     shard_range.container == self.container_name):
@@ -212,11 +213,13 @@ class ContainerController(Controller):
 
             if limit <= 0:
                 break
-            elif (end_marker and reverse and
-                  end_marker >= objects[-1]['name'].encode('utf-8')):
+            if (end_marker and reverse and
+                (wsgi_to_bytes(end_marker) >=
+                 objects[-1]['name'].encode('utf-8'))):
                 break
-            elif (end_marker and not reverse and
-                  end_marker <= objects[-1]['name'].encode('utf-8')):
+            if (end_marker and not reverse and
+                (wsgi_to_bytes(end_marker) <=
+                 objects[-1]['name'].encode('utf-8'))):
                 break
 
         resp.body = json.dumps(objects).encode('ascii')
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_base.py b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_base.py
index 65e661f696..4bfd0d0f1b 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_base.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_base.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class FakeResponse(object):
 
     base_headers = {}
 
-    def __init__(self, status_int=200, headers=None, body=''):
+    def __init__(self, status_int=200, headers=None, body=b''):
         self.status_int = status_int
         self._headers = headers or {}
         self.body = body
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_container.py b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_container.py
index a73f2c3128..c34c19700b 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_container.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_container.py
@@ -450,7 +450,8 @@ class TestContainerController(TestRingBase):
                 self.assertLess(name(prev), name(next_))
         container_path = '/v1/a/c' + query_string
         codes = (resp[0] for resp in mock_responses)
-        bodies = iter([json.dumps(resp[1]) for resp in mock_responses])
+        bodies = iter([json.dumps(resp[1]).encode('ascii')
+                       for resp in mock_responses])
         exp_headers = [resp[2] for resp in mock_responses]
         request = Request.blank(container_path)
         with mocked_http_conn(
@@ -1010,7 +1011,7 @@ class TestContainerController(TestRingBase):
             'X-Backend-Sharding-State': 'unsharded',
             'X-Container-Object-Count': 0,
             'X-Container-Bytes-Used': 0,
-            'X-Container-Meta-Flavour': 'flavour%d' % i,
+            'X-Container-Meta-Flavour': 'flavour',
             'X-Backend-Storage-Policy-Index': 0}
 
         # empty first shard range
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 8eba7ef449..e5e305e530 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ commands =
       test/unit/obj/test_replicator.py \
       test/unit/obj/test_server.py \
       test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_base.py \
+      test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_container.py \
       test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_info.py \
       test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py}