diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/routes/kill.py b/src/teuthology_api/routes/kill.py
index 7ad7a4a..93b103c 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/routes/kill.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/routes/kill.py
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ async def create_run(
     except HTTPError as http_err:
         log.error(http_err)
         raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=http_err.response.status_code, detail=repr(http_err)
+            status_code=http_err.response.status_code, detail=str(http_err, "utf-8")
         ) from http_err
     except Exception as err:
         log.error(err)
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(err)) from err
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(err, "utf-8")) from err
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
index 8de5365..b1638ce 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ def get_run_details(run_name: str):
     except HTTPError as http_err:
         log.error(http_err)
         raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=http_err.response.status_code, detail=repr(http_err)
+            status_code=http_err.response.status_code, detail=str(http_err, "utf-8")
         ) from http_err
     except Exception as err:
         log.error(err)
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(err)) from err
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(err, "utf-8")) from err
 
 
 def get_username(request: Request):
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
index 3c6872d..e5fa385 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ async def run(args, send_logs: bool, token: dict, request: Request):
         return {"kill": "success"}
     except Exception as exc:
         log.error("teuthology-kill command failed with the error: %s", repr(exc))
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(exc)) from exc
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(exc, "utf-8")) from exc
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
index 99d2d6d..af9d699 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def run(args, send_logs: bool, access_token: str):
         return {"run": run_details}
     except Exception as exc:
         log.error("teuthology.suite.main failed with the error: %s", repr(exc))
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(exc)) from exc
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(exc, "utf-8")) from exc
 
 
 def make_run_name(run_dic):