diff --git a/rbac/management/principal/cleaner.py b/rbac/management/principal/cleaner.py
index 98e6ccde2..620af7446 100644
--- a/rbac/management/principal/cleaner.py
+++ b/rbac/management/principal/cleaner.py
@@ -208,7 +208,8 @@ def process_umb_event(frame, umb_client: Stomp, bootstrap_service: TenantBootstr
             return False
 
         try:
-            data_dict = xmltodict.parse(frame.body)
+            body = frame.body.decode("utf-8", errors="ignore")
+            data_dict = xmltodict.parse(body)
             canonical_message = data_dict.get("CanonicalMessage")
 
             user = retrieve_user_info(canonical_message)
diff --git a/tests/management/principal/test_cleaner.py b/tests/management/principal/test_cleaner.py
index 5b36efa98..e888ada57 100644
--- a/tests/management/principal/test_cleaner.py
+++ b/tests/management/principal/test_cleaner.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ def test_principal_cleanup_principal_error(self, mock_request):
     b'<Reference system="EBS" entity-name="Account" qualifier="number">11111111</Reference>\n                '
     b'</Identifiers>\n                <Status primary="true">\n                    <State>Active</State>\n                '
     b"</Status>\n                <Person>\n                    <FirstName>Test</FirstName>\n                    "
-    b"<LastName>Principal</LastName>\n                    <Salutation>Mr.</Salutation>\n                    <Title>QE</Title>\n                    "
+    b"<LastName>Principal \xed\xa0\xbd\xed\xb8\x8e</LastName>\n                    <Salutation>Mr.</Salutation>\n                    <Title>QE</Title>\n                    "
     b"<Credentials>\n                        <Login>principal-test</Login>\n                    </Credentials>\n                "
     b"</Person>\n                <Company>\n                    <Name>Shakespeare Birthplace Trust</Name>\n                "
     b"</Company>\n                <Address>\n                    <Identifiers>\n                        <AuthoringOperatingUnit>\n"