diff --git a/tests/test_security.py b/tests/test_security.py
index 73ed0dc..443240c 100644
--- a/tests/test_security.py
+++ b/tests/test_security.py
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ def test_empty_security_descriptor():
     assert esd.dacl is None
     assert esd.sacl is None
 
+def test_security_descriptor__str__():
+    sddl = "D:(A;;FA;;;WD)"
+    sd = SecurityDescriptor.from_string(sddl)
+    assert str(sd) == sddl
+
+
 
 def test_pacl_object():
     SDDL = "O:ANG:S-1-2-3D:(A;;;;;S-1-42-42)(A;;;;;S-1-42-43)(A;;;;;S-1-42-44)"
diff --git a/windows/security.py b/windows/security.py
index 63e5687..a3d62ab 100644
--- a/windows/security.py
+++ b/windows/security.py
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ class SecurityDescriptor(gdef.PSECURITY_DESCRIPTOR):
             None)
         result = result_cstr.value # Retrieve a python-str copy
         winproxy.LocalFree(result_cstr)
-        return result
+        return result.decode()
 
     __str__ = to_string
 
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ def explain_acl(acl, sdtype=None):
     if acl is None:
         yield u"None"
     for ace in acl.aces:
-        yield unicode(ace)
+        yield str(ace)
         for line in ACE_EXPLAINER[ace.Header.AceType](ace, sdtype):
             yield u"  " + line