diff --git a/tests/test_opensearch.py b/tests/test_opensearch.py
index fc45f19ec..1d3049bb6 100644
--- a/tests/test_opensearch.py
+++ b/tests/test_opensearch.py
@@ -11,10 +11,9 @@
 import mock
 import pytest
 from pyramid import testing
-from pyramid.testing import DummyRequest
 from pywps.inout.inputs import LiteralInput
 
-from tests.utils import setup_mongodb_processstore
+from tests.utils import MockedRequest, setup_mongodb_processstore
 from weaver.processes import opensearch
 from weaver.processes.constants import OpenSearchField
 from weaver.processes.opensearch import make_param_id
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ def load_json_test_file(filename):
 
 
 def make_request(**kw):
-    request = DummyRequest(**kw)
+    request = MockedRequest(**kw)
     if request.registry.settings is None:
         request.registry.settings = {}
     request.registry.settings["weaver.url"] = "localhost"
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index de8ae151b..ca0d6077a 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 from pyramid.config import Configurator
 from pyramid.httpexceptions import HTTPException, HTTPNotFound, HTTPUnprocessableEntity
 from pyramid.registry import Registry
+from pyramid.testing import DummyRequest
 from requests import Response
 from webtest import TestApp, TestResponse
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 from weaver.formats import ContentType
 from weaver.store.mongodb import MongodbJobStore, MongodbProcessStore, MongodbServiceStore
 from weaver.utils import (
+    bytes2str,
     fetch_file,
     get_header,
     get_path_kvp,
@@ -64,7 +66,14 @@
     from owslib.wps import Process as ProcessOWSWPS
     from pywps.app import Process as ProcessPyWPS
 
-    from weaver.typedefs import AnyHeadersContainer, AnyRequestMethod, AnyRequestType, AnyResponseType, SettingsType
+    from weaver.typedefs import (
+        JSON,
+        AnyHeadersContainer,
+        AnyRequestMethod,
+        AnyRequestType,
+        AnyResponseType,
+        SettingsType
+    )
 
     # pylint: disable=C0103,invalid-name,E1101,no-member
     MockPatch = mock._patch  # noqa
@@ -385,12 +394,23 @@ def run_command(command, trim=True, expect_error=False, entrypoint=None):
     return out_lines
 
 
+class MockedRequest(DummyRequest):
+    """
+    Patch missing properties that are expected from :mod:`pyramid` requests.
+    """
+    json = {}  # type: JSON
+
+    @property
+    def text(self):
+        return bytes2str(self.body) if self.body else json.dumps(self.json, ensure_ascii=False)
+
+
 class MockedResponse(TestResponse):
     """
-    Replaces the ``json`` property by the expected callable from all real response implementations.
+    Replaces the ``json`` property by the expected callable from responses using :mod:`requests` implementation.
     """
     def json(self):  # pylint: disable=W0236,invalid-overridden-method
-        return self.json_body or json.loads(self.body.decode("UTF-8"))
+        return self.json_body or json.loads(bytes2str(self.body))
 
 
 def mocked_file_response(path, url):
diff --git a/weaver/utils.py b/weaver/utils.py
index c5945f4f8..33cede80d 100644
--- a/weaver/utils.py
+++ b/weaver/utils.py
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ def str2bytes(string):
         raise TypeError(f"Cannot convert item to bytes: {type(string)!r}")
     if isinstance(string, bytes):
         return string
-    return string.encode()
+    return string.encode("UTF-8")
 
 
 def bytes2str(string):
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ def bytes2str(string):
         raise TypeError(f"Cannot convert item to unicode: {type(string)!r}")
     if not isinstance(string, bytes):
         return string
-    return string.decode()
+    return string.decode("UTF-8")
 
 
 def islambda(func):