diff --git a/wsme/rest/xml.py b/wsme/rest/xml.py
index 6dd9b5b..2d1b585 100644
--- a/wsme/rest/xml.py
+++ b/wsme/rest/xml.py
@@ -203,11 +203,11 @@ def dict_fromxml(datatype, element):
         for item in element.findall('item')))
 
 
-@fromxml.when_object(unicode)
+@fromxml.when_object(wsme.types.text)
 def unicode_fromxml(datatype, element):
     if element.get('nil') == 'true':
         return None
-    return datatype(element.text if element.text else '')
+    return wsme.types.text(element.text) if element.text else six.u('')
 
 
 @fromxml.when_object(datetime.date)
diff --git a/wsme/tests/test_restxml.py b/wsme/tests/test_restxml.py
index 8d3ef93..e1c2641 100644
--- a/wsme/tests/test_restxml.py
+++ b/wsme/tests/test_restxml.py
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ def loadxml(el, datatype):
             return parse_isotime(el.text)
         if datatype == datetime.datetime:
             return parse_isodatetime(el.text)
-        if datatype == unicode:
-            return datatype(el.text if el.text else '')
+        if datatype == wsme.types.text:
+            return datatype(el.text if el.text else u(''))
         if datatype == bool:
             return el.text.lower() != 'false'
         if datatype is None: