diff --git a/httpie/input.py b/httpie/input.py
index 24269db4..54f9a72c 100644
--- a/httpie/input.py
+++ b/httpie/input.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Parsing and processing of CLI input (args, auth credentials, files, stdin).
 
 """
-import argparse
 import os
 import sys
 import re
@@ -163,7 +162,8 @@ class Parser(ArgumentParser):
             sys.stderr: self.env.stderr,
             None: self.env.stderr
         }.get(file, file)
-
+        if not hasattr(file, 'buffer'):
+            message = message.encode('utf8')
         super(Parser, self)._print_message(message, file)
 
     def _setup_standard_streams(self):
@@ -637,6 +637,5 @@ def readable_file_arg(filename):
     try:
         open(filename, 'rb')
     except IOError as ex:
-        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(
-            '%s: %s' % (filename, ex.args[1]))
+        raise ArgumentTypeError('%s: %s' % (filename, ex.args[1]))
     return filename
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 8e916266..c749134d 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -107,16 +107,6 @@ def http(*args, **kwargs):
         >>> r.json is None
         True
 
-    $ http --version:
-
-        >>> r = http('--version')
-        >>> r.exit_status
-        1
-        >>> r.stderr.strip() == httpie.__version__
-        True
-        >>> r == ''
-        True
-
     """
     env = kwargs.get('env')
     if not env:
diff --git a/tests/test_httpie.py b/tests/test_httpie.py
index 28c712e8..148210bc 100644
--- a/tests/test_httpie.py
+++ b/tests/test_httpie.py
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ class HTTPieTest(TestCase):
         assert r.exit_status == httpie.ExitStatus.ERROR
         assert 'https://github.com/jkbr/httpie/issues' in r
 
+    def test_version(self):
+        r = http('--version')
+        assert r.exit_status == httpie.ExitStatus.ERROR
+        assert httpie.__version__ == r.stderr.strip()
+
     def test_GET(self):
         r = http('GET', httpbin('/get'))
         assert HTTP_OK in r