diff --git a/mitmproxy/contentviews.py b/mitmproxy/contentviews.py
index 054f1f2d2..e155bc01e 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/contentviews.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/contentviews.py
@@ -109,12 +109,16 @@ class View(object):
     prompt = ()
     content_types = []
 
-    def __call__(self, data, **metadata):
+    def __call__(
+            self,
+            data,  # type: bytes
+            **metadata
+    ):
         """
         Transform raw data into human-readable output.
 
         Args:
-            data: the data to decode/format as bytes.
+            data: the data to decode/format.
             metadata: optional keyword-only arguments for metadata. Implementations must not
                 rely on a given argument being present.
 
@@ -282,7 +286,7 @@ class ViewURLEncoded(View):
 
     def __call__(self, data, **metadata):
         try:
-            data = data.decode("ascii","strict")
+            data = data.decode("ascii", "strict")
         except ValueError:
             return None
         d = url.decode(data)
diff --git a/netlib/http/url.py b/netlib/http/url.py
index 2fc6e7eed..1c8c007a7 100644
--- a/netlib/http/url.py
+++ b/netlib/http/url.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ def unparse(scheme, host, port, path=""):
 
 
 def encode(s):
+    # type: (six.text_type, bytes) -> str
     """
         Takes a list of (key, value) tuples and returns a urlencoded string.
     """
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/test_contentview.py b/test/mitmproxy/test_contentview.py
index 2db9ab40a..aad53b372 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/test_contentview.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/test_contentview.py
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ class TestContentView:
         assert f[0] == "Query"
 
     def test_view_urlencoded(self):
-        d = url.encode([("one", "two"), ("three", "four")])
+        d = url.encode([("one", "two"), ("three", "four")]).encode()
         v = cv.ViewURLEncoded()
         assert v(d)
-        d = url.encode([("adsfa", "")])
+        d = url.encode([("adsfa", "")]).encode()
         v = cv.ViewURLEncoded()
         assert v(d)