diff --git a/dal/dal/views.py b/dal/dal/views.py
index 250cd1a..0e8cd19 100644
--- a/dal/dal/views.py
+++ b/dal/dal/views.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import os
 
 # Use ldap, like django_auth_backend
 import ldap
+import ldap.modlist as modlist
 
 from django.conf import settings
 
@@ -46,36 +47,43 @@ class LDAP(object):
         if settings.AUTH_LDAP_START_TLS:
             self.conn.start_tls_s()
 
-        print("{} {} {}".format(self.uri, self.user, self.password))
         self.conn.bind_s(self.user, self.password)
 
 
     def check_user_exists(self, username):
+        exists = False
+
         result = self.conn.search_s(self.search_base,
                                     self.search_scope,
                                     self.dn.format(username))
-        if not len(result) == 0:
-            return True
-        else:
-            return False
+        if len(result) > 0:
+            exists = True
+
+        return exists
 
     def create_user(self, user, password, firstname, lastname, email):
         dn = self.dn.format(user)
-        modlist = {
-            "objectClass": ["inetOrgPerson", "posixAccount", "ldapPublickey"],
-            "uid": [user],
-            "sn": [lastname],
-            "givenName": [firstname],
-            "cn": ["{} {}".format(firstname, lastname)],
-            "displayName": ["{} {}".format(firstname, lastname)],
-            "uidNumber": ["{}".format(self.get_new_uid_number(conn))],
-            "gidNumber": [self.gid],
-            "loginShell": ["/bin/bash"],
-            "homeDirectory": ["/home/{}".format(user)],
-            "mail": email,
-            "userPassword": password
+        attr = {
+            "objectClass": ["inetOrgPerson".encode("utf-8"),
+                            "posixAccount".encode("utf-8"),
+                            "ldapPublickey".encode("utf-8")],
+            "uid": [user.encode("utf-8")],
+            "sn": [lastname.encode("utf-8")],
+            "givenName": [firstname.encode("utf-8")],
+            "cn": ["{} {}".format(firstname, lastname).encode("utf-8")],
+            "displayName": ["{} {}".format(firstname, lastname).encode("utf-8")],
+            "uidNumber": ["{}".format(self.get_new_uid_number()).encode("utf-8")],
+            "gidNumber": [self.gid.encode("utf-8")],
+            "loginShell": ["/bin/bash".encode("utf-8")],
+            "homeDirectory": ["/home/{}".format(user).encode("utf-8")],
+            "mail": email.encode("utf-8"),
+            "userPassword": password.encode("utf-8")
         }
-        result = self.conn.add_s(dn, ldap.modlist.addModlist(modlist))
+
+        ldif = modlist.addModlist(attr)
+
+        print("just before: {} {}".format(dn, ldif))
+        return self.conn.add_s(dn, ldif)
 
     def get_new_uid_number(self):
         uidlist = [0]
@@ -83,8 +91,8 @@ class LDAP(object):
         for result in self.conn.search_s(self.search_base,
                                          self.search_scope,
                                          self.search_filter):
-
-            uidlist.append(int(result[1]['uidNumber'][0]))
+            if 'uidNumber' in result[1]:
+                uidlist.append(int(result[1]['uidNumber'][0]))
 
         return sorted(uidlist)[-1] + 1
 
@@ -119,7 +127,6 @@ class Register(View):
         if username == "" or not username:
             return render(request, 'error.html', { 'urlname': urlname, 'service': service, 'error': 'Please supply a username.' } )
 
-
         if l.check_user_exists(username):
             return render(request, 'error.html', { 'urlname': urlname, 'service': service, 'error': 'User already exists.' } )
 
@@ -148,8 +155,6 @@ class Register(View):
         # so nothing strange happens if there are escapable chars
         pwd = r'%s' % password1
 
-        l = LDAP()
-
         try:
             l.create_user(username, pwd, firstname, lastname, email)
         except Exception as e: