diff --git a/home.admin/XXsendNotification.py b/home.admin/XXsendNotification.py
index 72ecd833c..808f2ed69 100644
--- a/home.admin/XXsendNotification.py
+++ b/home.admin/XXsendNotification.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def mail(recipient: str = None, message: str = None, subject: str = None, cert:
             'From: {} <{}>'.format(from_name, from_address),
             "Subject: {}".format(subject),
             "",
-            "{}".format(message)
+            "{}".format(message.encode('utf8'))
         ]
 
         with open(cert, 'rb') as pem:
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def mail(recipient: str = None, message: str = None, subject: str = None, cert:
         msg['From'] = '{} <{}>'.format(from_name, from_address),
         msg['To'] = recipient
 
-        msg.set_payload(message)
+        msg.set_payload(message.encode('utf8'))
         msg_to_send = msg.as_bytes()
 
     # send message via e-Mail
diff --git a/home.admin/config.scripts/blitz.notify.sh b/home.admin/config.scripts/blitz.notify.sh
index 4a3c1041e..a14bd5b0a 100755
--- a/home.admin/config.scripts/blitz.notify.sh
+++ b/home.admin/config.scripts/blitz.notify.sh
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ if [ "$1" = "send" ]; then
     /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py ext ${notifyExtCmd} "$2"
   elif [ "${notifyMethod}" = "mail" ]; then
     if [ "${notifyMailEncrypt}" = "on" ]; then
-      /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py mail "${@:3}" --from-address "${notifyMailFromAddress}" --from-name "${notifyMailFromName}" --cert "${notifyMailToCert}" --encrypt ${notifyMailTo} "$2"
+      /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py mail --from-address "${notifyMailFromAddress}" --from-name "${notifyMailFromName}" --cert "${notifyMailToCert}" --encrypt ${notifyMailTo} "${@:3}" "$2"
     else
-      /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py mail "${@:3}" --from-address "${notifyMailFromAddress}" --from-name "${notifyMailFromName}" "${notifyMailTo}" "$2"
+      /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py mail --from-address "${notifyMailFromAddress}" --from-name "${notifyMailFromName}" "${notifyMailTo}" "${@:3}" "$2"
     fi
   elif [ "${notifyMethod}" = "slack" ]; then
     /usr/bin/python3 /home/admin/XXsendNotification.py slack -h "$2"