diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
index f22dc7c395..a1b7875ba7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/junos.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from ansible.module_utils.basic import env_fallback, return_values
 from ansible.module_utils.netconf import send_request, children
 from ansible.module_utils.netconf import discard_changes, validate
 from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 
 ACTIONS = frozenset(['merge', 'override', 'replace', 'update', 'set'])
 JSON_ACTIONS = frozenset(['merge', 'override', 'update'])
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ def load_configuration(module, candidate=None, action='merge', rollback=None, fo
             if format == 'xml':
                 cfg.append(fromstring(candidate))
             else:
-                cfg.text = candidate
+                cfg.text = to_text(candidate, encoding='latin1')
         else:
             cfg.append(candidate)
     return send_request(module, obj)
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ def get_diff(module):
     reply = get_configuration(module, compare=True, format='text')
     output = reply.find('.//configuration-output')
     if output is not None:
-        return output.text
+        return to_text(output.text, encoding='latin1').strip()
 
 def load_config(module, candidate, warnings, action='merge', commit=False, format='xml',
                 comment=None, confirm=False, confirm_timeout=None):
@@ -180,7 +181,6 @@ def load_config(module, candidate, warnings, action='merge', commit=False, forma
         diff = get_diff(module)
 
         if diff:
-            diff = str(diff).strip()
             if commit:
                 commit_configuration(module, confirm=confirm, comment=comment,
                                      confirm_timeout=confirm_timeout)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/network/junos/junos_config.py b/lib/ansible/modules/network/junos/junos_config.py
index e26067f200..673de42aff 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/network/junos/junos_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/network/junos/junos_config.py
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ from ansible.module_utils.junos import junos_argument_spec
 from ansible.module_utils.junos import check_args as junos_check_args
 from ansible.module_utils.netconf import send_request
 from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text, to_native
 
 if sys.version_info < (2, 7):
     from xml.parsers.expat import ExpatError
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ def filter_delete_statements(module, candidate):
     if match is None:
         # Could not find configuration-set in reply, perhaps device does not support it?
         return candidate
-    config = str(match.text)
+    config = to_native(match.text, encoding='latin1')
 
     modified_candidate = candidate[:]
     for index, line in enumerate(candidate):
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ def main():
         else:
             module.fail_json(msg='unable to retrieve device configuration')
 
-        result['__backup__'] = str(match.text).strip()
+        result['__backup__'] = match.text.strip()
 
     if module.params['rollback']:
         if not module.check_mode:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_config.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_config.py
index d7ac8a1949..b166f23b3a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_config.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_config.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import glob
 from ansible.plugins.action.junos import ActionModule as _ActionModule
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 from ansible.module_utils.six.moves.urllib.parse import urlsplit
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
 from ansible.utils.vars import merge_hash
 
 PRIVATE_KEYS_RE = re.compile('__.+__')
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
             os.remove(fn)
         tstamp = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d@%H:%M:%S", time.localtime(time.time()))
         filename = '%s/%s_config.%s' % (backup_path, host, tstamp)
-        open(filename, 'w').write(contents)
+        open(filename, 'w').write(to_native(contents, encoding='latin1'))
         return filename
 
     def _handle_template(self):
@@ -110,4 +111,3 @@ class ActionModule(_ActionModule):
         searchpath.append(os.path.dirname(source))
         self._templar.environment.loader.searchpath = searchpath
         self._task.args['src'] = self._templar.template(template_data)
-
diff --git a/test/sanity/pep8/legacy-files.txt b/test/sanity/pep8/legacy-files.txt
index 83f5bf5329..c1625aae4a 100644
--- a/test/sanity/pep8/legacy-files.txt
+++ b/test/sanity/pep8/legacy-files.txt
@@ -845,7 +845,6 @@ lib/ansible/plugins/action/group_by.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/ios_template.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/iosxr_template.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos.py
-lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_config.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/junos_template.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/normal.py
 lib/ansible/plugins/action/nxos.py