diff --git a/picard/webservice/__init__.py b/picard/webservice/__init__.py
index 854698ce5..75ab1a961 100644
--- a/picard/webservice/__init__.py
+++ b/picard/webservice/__init__.py
@@ -76,9 +76,7 @@ USER_AGENT_STRING = '%s-%s/%s (%s;%s-%s)' % (PICARD_ORG_NAME, PICARD_APP_NAME,
                                              platform.platform(),
                                              platform.python_implementation(),
                                              platform.python_version())
-CLIENT_STRING = bytes(QUrl.toPercentEncoding('%s %s-%s' % (PICARD_ORG_NAME,
-                                                           PICARD_APP_NAME,
-                                                           PICARD_VERSION_STR))).decode()
+CLIENT_STRING = '%s %s-%s' % (PICARD_ORG_NAME, PICARD_APP_NAME, PICARD_VERSION_STR)
 
 
 DEFAULT_RESPONSE_PARSER_TYPE = "json"
diff --git a/picard/webservice/api_helpers.py b/picard/webservice/api_helpers.py
index 3450f8b59..03de41868 100644
--- a/picard/webservice/api_helpers.py
+++ b/picard/webservice/api_helpers.py
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
     def _get_by_id(self, entitytype, entityid, handler, inc=None, **kwargs):
         path_list = (entitytype, entityid)
         if inc:
-            kwargs['queryargs'] = kwargs.get('queryargs', {})
-            kwargs['queryargs']["inc"] = "+".join(sorted(set(inc)))
+            kwargs['unencoded_queryargs'] = kwargs.get('queryargs', {})
+            kwargs['unencoded_queryargs']["inc"] = "+".join(sorted(set(inc)))
         return self.get(path_list, handler, **kwargs)
 
     def get_release_by_id(self, releaseid, handler, inc=None, **kwargs):
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
             filters['query'] = query
 
         path_list = (entitytype, )
-        return self.get(path_list, handler, queryargs=encoded_queryargs(filters),
+        return self.get(path_list, handler, unencoded_queryargs=filters,
                         priority=True, important=True, mblogin=False,
                         refresh=False)
 
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
             queryargs = {}
         if inc:
             queryargs["inc"] = "+".join(inc)
-        return self.get(path_list, handler, queryargs=queryargs,
+        return self.get(path_list, handler, unencoded_queryargs=queryargs,
                         priority=True, important=True, mblogin=mblogin,
                         refresh=False)
 
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
         params = {"client": CLIENT_STRING}
         data = self._xml_ratings(ratings)
         return self.post(path_list, data, handler, priority=True,
-                         queryargs=params, parse_response_type="xml",
+                         unencoded_queryargs=params, parse_response_type="xml",
                          request_mimetype="application/xml; charset=utf-8")
 
     def get_collection(self, collection_id, handler, limit=100, offset=0):
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
             path_list = ('collection', )
             queryargs = None
         return self.get(tuple(path_list), handler, priority=True, important=True,
-                        mblogin=True, queryargs=queryargs)
+                        mblogin=True, unencoded_queryargs=queryargs)
 
     def get_collection_list(self, handler):
         return self.get_collection(None, handler)
@@ -233,12 +233,12 @@ class MBAPIHelper(APIHelper):
     def put_to_collection(self, collection_id, releases, handler):
         for path_list in self._collection_request(collection_id, releases):
             self.put(path_list, "", handler,
-                     queryargs=self._get_client_queryarg())
+                     unencoded_queryargs=self._get_client_queryarg())
 
     def delete_from_collection(self, collection_id, releases, handler):
         for path_list in self._collection_request(collection_id, releases):
             self.delete(path_list, handler,
-                        queryargs=self._get_client_queryarg())
+                        unencoded_queryargs=self._get_client_queryarg())
 
 
 class AcoustIdAPIHelper(APIHelper):
diff --git a/test/test_api_helpers.py b/test/test_api_helpers.py
index e727c07a3..be0beb849 100644
--- a/test/test_api_helpers.py
+++ b/test/test_api_helpers.py
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ class MBAPITest(PicardTestCase):
         self.assertNotIn(path, ws_function.call_args[1]['url'].path())
 
     def assertInQuery(self, ws_function, argname, value=None):
-        query_args = ws_function.call_args[1]['queryargs']
-        self.assertIn(argname, query_args)
-        self.assertEqual(value, query_args[argname])
+        unencoded_query_args = ws_function.call_args[1]['unencoded_queryargs']
+        self.assertIn(argname, unencoded_query_args)
+        self.assertEqual(value, unencoded_query_args[argname])
 
     def _test_inc_args(self, ws_function, arg_list):
         self.assertInQuery(self.ws.get_url, 'inc', "+".join(arg_list))