diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index 57df6a279..1795097ae 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     DEFAULT_OUTTMPL,
     determine_ext,
     DownloadError,
+    encode_compat_str,
     encodeFilename,
     error_to_str,
     ExtractorError,
@@ -496,7 +497,7 @@ def trouble(self, message=None, tb=None):
                     tb = ''
                     if hasattr(sys.exc_info()[1], 'exc_info') and sys.exc_info()[1].exc_info[0]:
                         tb += ''.join(traceback.format_exception(*sys.exc_info()[1].exc_info))
-                    tb += compat_str(traceback.format_exc())
+                    tb += encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc())
                 else:
                     tb_data = traceback.format_list(traceback.extract_stack())
                     tb = ''.join(tb_data)
@@ -682,7 +683,7 @@ def extract_info(self, url, download=True, ie_key=None, extra_info={},
                 raise
             except Exception as e:
                 if self.params.get('ignoreerrors', False):
-                    self.report_error(error_to_str(e), tb=compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                    self.report_error(error_to_str(e), tb=encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
                     break
                 else:
                     raise
diff --git a/youtube_dl/update.py b/youtube_dl/update.py
index 074eb64a7..995b8ed96 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/update.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/update.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import sys
 from zipimport import zipimporter
 
-from .compat import compat_str
+from .utils import encode_compat_str
 
 from .version import __version__
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, opener):
         newversion = opener.open(VERSION_URL).read().decode('utf-8').strip()
     except Exception:
         if verbose:
-            to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+            to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen('ERROR: can\'t find the current version. Please try again later.')
         return
     if newversion == __version__:
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose, opener):
         versions_info = json.loads(versions_info)
     except Exception:
         if verbose:
-            to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+            to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen('ERROR: can\'t obtain versions info. Please try again later.')
         return
     if 'signature' not in versions_info:
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def version_tuple(version_str):
             urlh.close()
         except (IOError, OSError):
             if verbose:
-                to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen('ERROR: unable to download latest version')
             return
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def version_tuple(version_str):
                 outf.write(newcontent)
         except (IOError, OSError):
             if verbose:
-                to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen('ERROR: unable to write the new version')
             return
 
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def version_tuple(version_str):
             return  # Do not show premature success messages
         except (IOError, OSError):
             if verbose:
-                to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen('ERROR: unable to overwrite current version')
             return
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def version_tuple(version_str):
             urlh.close()
         except (IOError, OSError):
             if verbose:
-                to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen('ERROR: unable to download latest version')
             return
 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ def version_tuple(version_str):
                 outf.write(newcontent)
         except (IOError, OSError):
             if verbose:
-                to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
+                to_screen(encode_compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
             to_screen('ERROR: unable to overwrite current version')
             return