diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_html_rewriter.py b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_html_rewriter.py
index 277753f4..3938efda 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_html_rewriter.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_html_rewriter.py
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ ur"""
 
 # Unicode -- default with %-encoding
 >>> parse(u'<a href="http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a>')
-<a href="/web/20131226101010/http://%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5.%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5/">испытание</a>
+<a href="/web/20131226101010/http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a>
+
+#<a href="/web/20131226101010/http://%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5.%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5/">испытание</a>
 
 >>> parse(u'<a href="http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a>', urlrewriter=urlrewriter_pencode)
 <a href="/web/20131226101010/http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a>
@@ -171,6 +173,7 @@ from pywb.rewrite.url_rewriter import UrlRewriter
 from pywb.rewrite.html_rewriter import HTMLRewriter
 
 import pprint
+import urllib
 
 urlrewriter = UrlRewriter('20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/index.html',
                           '/web/',
@@ -187,9 +190,12 @@ no_base_canon_rewriter = UrlRewriter('20131226101010/http://example.com/some/pat
                                                        rewrite_base=False))
 
 def parse(data, head_insert=None, urlrewriter=urlrewriter):
-    data = data.encode('utf-8')
     parser = HTMLRewriter(urlrewriter, head_insert = head_insert)
-    #data = data.decode('utf-8')
+
+    if isinstance(data, unicode):
+        data = data.encode('utf-8')
+        #data = urllib.quote(data, ':" =/-\\<>')
+
     result = parser.rewrite(data) + parser.close()
     # decode only for printing
     print result.decode('utf-8')
diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_wburl.py b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_wburl.py
index c6ac76ef..077bba6d 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_wburl.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_wburl.py
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ https://%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80.%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B
 >>> print(to_uri_pencode('http://' + quote_plus(u'пример.испытание'.encode('utf-8'))[1:]))
 http://d0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80.%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5
 
+# invalid
+>>> print(to_uri_pencode('http://xn--abcd'))
+http://xn--abcd
 
 # IRI representation
 >>> repr(WbUrl(u'http://пример.испытание'))
diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/wburl.py b/pywb/rewrite/wburl.py
index dac119f5..e43bab37 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/wburl.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/wburl.py
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ class WbUrl(BaseWbUrl):
         The rest of url should be unchanged
         """
 
+        # only continue if punycode encoded
+        if 'xn--' not in url:
+            return url
+
         parts = urlparse.urlsplit(url)
         domain = parts.netloc
         try:
@@ -108,10 +112,6 @@ class WbUrl(BaseWbUrl):
 
         domain = urllib.quote(domain)#, safe=r':\/')
 
-        # no changes
-        if parts.netloc == domain:
-            return url
-
         return urlparse.urlunsplit((parts[0], domain, parts[2], parts[3], parts[4]))