diff --git a/sickbeard/providers/iptorrents.py b/sickbeard/providers/iptorrents.py
index 19bd80bb..09f4a45c 100644
--- a/sickbeard/providers/iptorrents.py
+++ b/sickbeard/providers/iptorrents.py
@@ -162,9 +162,11 @@ class IPTorrentsProvider(generic.TorrentProvider):
 
         for mode in search_params.keys():
             for search_string in search_params[mode]:
+                if isinstance(search_string, unicode):
+                    search_string = unidecode(search_string)
 
                 # URL with 50 tv-show results, or max 150 if adjusted in IPTorrents profile
-                searchURL = self.urls['search'] % (self.categorie, freeleech, unidecode(search_string))
+                searchURL = self.urls['search'] % (self.categorie, freeleech, search_string)
                 searchURL += ';o=seeders' if mode != 'RSS' else ''
 
                 logger.log(u"" + self.name + " search page URL: " + searchURL, logger.DEBUG)
diff --git a/sickbeard/providers/kat.py b/sickbeard/providers/kat.py
index e0903d82..40202a7b 100644
--- a/sickbeard/providers/kat.py
+++ b/sickbeard/providers/kat.py
@@ -225,10 +225,12 @@ class KATProvider(generic.TorrentProvider):
 
         for mode in search_params.keys():
             for search_string in search_params[mode]:
+                if isinstance(search_string, unicode):
+                    search_string = unidecode(search_string)
 
                 entries = []
                 for url in self.urls:
-                    searchURL = url + 'usearch/%s/?field=seeders&sorder=desc&rss=1' % urllib.urlencode(search_string.encode('utf-8'))
+                    searchURL = url + 'usearch/%s/?field=seeders&sorder=desc&rss=1' % urllib.quote(search_string)
                     logger.log(u"Search string: " + searchURL, logger.DEBUG)
 
                     entries = self.cache.getRSSFeed(url, items=['entries', 'feed'])['entries']
diff --git a/sickbeard/providers/thepiratebay.py b/sickbeard/providers/thepiratebay.py
index 0448b7a8..8e3c3ab7 100644
--- a/sickbeard/providers/thepiratebay.py
+++ b/sickbeard/providers/thepiratebay.py
@@ -230,9 +230,11 @@ class ThePirateBayProvider(generic.TorrentProvider):
 
         for mode in search_params.keys():
             for search_string in search_params[mode]:
+                if isinstance(search_string, unicode):
+                    search_string = unidecode(search_string)
 
                 if mode != 'RSS':
-                    searchURL = self.proxy._buildURL(self.searchurl % (urllib.quote(unidecode(search_string))))
+                    searchURL = self.proxy._buildURL(self.searchurl % (urllib.quote(search_string)))
                 else:
                     searchURL = self.proxy._buildURL(self.url + 'tv/latest/')
 
diff --git a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
index 2a4bcbf2..c1506f01 100644
--- a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
+++ b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
@@ -557,6 +557,23 @@ class GitUpdateManager(UpdateManager):
             if sickbeard.NOTIFY_ON_UPDATE:
                 notifiers.notify_git_update(sickbeard.CUR_COMMIT_HASH if sickbeard.CUR_COMMIT_HASH else "")
             return True
+        else:
+            # perform a hard reset to try and resolve the issue
+            if self.reset() and self.update():
+                return True
+
+        return False
+
+    def reset(self):
+        """
+        Calls git reset --hard to perform a hard reset. Returns a bool depending
+        on the call's success.
+        """
+
+        output, err, exit_status = self._run_git(self._git_path, 'reset --hard')  # @UnusedVariable
+
+        if exit_status == 0:
+            return True
 
         return False