diff --git a/vmware_nsx/common/utils.py b/vmware_nsx/common/utils.py
index c209d6ab9e..b3c7175895 100644
--- a/vmware_nsx/common/utils.py
+++ b/vmware_nsx/common/utils.py
@@ -108,10 +108,15 @@ def check_and_truncate(display_name):
     return display_name or ''
 
 
+def normalize_xml(data):
+    data = data.encode('ascii', 'ignore')
+    return et.fromstring(data)
+
+
 def _get_bad_request_error_code(e):
     """Get the error code out of the exception"""
     try:
-        desc = et.fromstring(e.response)
+        desc = normalize_xml(e.response)
         return int(desc.find('errorCode').text)
     except Exception:
         pass
diff --git a/vmware_nsx/plugins/nsx_v/vshield/vcns.py b/vmware_nsx/plugins/nsx_v/vshield/vcns.py
index 9cc53b09fb..a775bc528c 100644
--- a/vmware_nsx/plugins/nsx_v/vshield/vcns.py
+++ b/vmware_nsx/plugins/nsx_v/vshield/vcns.py
@@ -85,15 +85,6 @@ CERTIFICATE = "certificate"
 NETWORK_TYPES = ['Network', 'VirtualWire', 'DistributedVirtualPortgroup']
 
 
-def _get_bad_request_error_code(e):
-    """Get the error code out of the exception"""
-    try:
-        desc = et.fromstring(e.response)
-        return int(desc.find('errorCode').text)
-    except Exception:
-        pass
-
-
 def retry_upon_exception_exclude_error_codes(
     exc, excluded_errors, delay=0.5, max_delay=4, max_attempts=0):
     if not max_attempts:
@@ -549,7 +540,7 @@ class Vcns(object):
     def get_security_group_id(self, sg_name):
         """Returns NSXv security group id which match the given name."""
         h, secgroups = self.list_security_groups()
-        root = et.fromstring(secgroups)
+        root = utils.normalize_xml(secgroups)
         for sg in root.iter('securitygroup'):
             if sg.find('name').text == sg_name:
                 return sg.find('objectId').text
@@ -624,7 +615,7 @@ class Vcns(object):
     def get_section_id(self, section_name):
         """Retrieve the id of a section from nsx."""
         h, firewall_config = self.get_dfw_config()
-        root = et.fromstring(firewall_config)
+        root = utils.normalize_xml(firewall_config)
         for sec in root.iter('section'):
             if sec.attrib['name'] == section_name:
                 return sec.attrib['id']
@@ -814,7 +805,7 @@ class Vcns(object):
         uri = '%s/usermgmt/scopingobjects' % SERVICES_PREFIX
         h, so_list = self.do_request(HTTP_GET, uri, decode=False,
                                      format='xml')
-        root = et.fromstring(so_list)
+        root = utils.normalize_xml(so_list)
         for obj in root.iter('object'):
             if (obj.find('objectTypeName').text in type_names and
                     obj.find('objectId').text == object_id and
@@ -836,8 +827,7 @@ class Vcns(object):
         uri = '%s/scopes' % VDN_PREFIX
         h, scope_list = self.do_request(HTTP_GET, uri, decode=False,
                                         format='xml')
-
-        root = et.fromstring(scope_list)
+        root = utils.normalize_xml(scope_list)
         for obj_id in root.iter('objectId'):
             if obj_id.text == object_id:
                 return True
@@ -848,8 +838,7 @@ class Vcns(object):
         uri = '%s/switches' % VDN_PREFIX
         h, dvs_list = self.do_request(HTTP_GET, uri, decode=False,
                                       format='xml')
-
-        root = et.fromstring(dvs_list)
+        root = utils.normalize_xml(dvs_list)
         for obj_id in root.iter('objectId'):
             if obj_id.text == object_id:
                 return True