diff --git a/arjuna-samples/arjex/test/pkg/httpauto/check_http_03_content.py b/arjuna-samples/arjex/test/pkg/httpauto/check_http_03_content.py
index ff8003a0..28b2a8fa 100644
--- a/arjuna-samples/arjex/test/pkg/httpauto/check_http_03_content.py
+++ b/arjuna-samples/arjex/test/pkg/httpauto/check_http_03_content.py
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ def check_multipart_file(request):
     post2 = Http.service().post(url, content=Http.content.file('fname', "sample.txt", headers={'X-A': 'b'}))
     assert post2.status_code == 200
 
+    post3 = Http.service().post(url, content=Http.content.file('fname', "black.png", headers={'X-A': 'b'}))
+    assert post2.status_code == 200
+
 @test
 def check_multipart_files_and_fields(request):
     url = "http://httpbin.org/post"
@@ -47,4 +50,12 @@ def check_multipart_files_and_fields(request):
         {'a': 7, 'b': 9},
         Http.field('c', 'something')
     ))
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+
+    r = Http.service().post(url, content=Http.content.multipart(
+        {'a': 1, 'b': 3},
+        Http.field('fname', "black.png", is_file=True),
+        {'a': 7, 'b': 9},
+        Http.field('c', 'something')
+    ))
     assert r.status_code == 200
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/arjuna/core/importer.py b/arjuna/core/importer.py
index 1e3326bc..6f793a8a 100644
--- a/arjuna/core/importer.py
+++ b/arjuna/core/importer.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ def import_module(mod_name, *, prefix="", optional=False):
     except ModuleNotFoundError:
         if not optional:
             raise
-    return mod 
+    else:
+        return mod 
 
 def import_name_in_module(*, mod_name, name, prefix="", optional=False):
     mod = import_module(mod_name, prefix=prefix, optional=optional)
diff --git a/arjuna/tpi/httpauto/request.py b/arjuna/tpi/httpauto/request.py
index 09685c09..30820c8b 100644
--- a/arjuna/tpi/httpauto/request.py
+++ b/arjuna/tpi/httpauto/request.py
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ def content(self):
     @classmethod
     def repr_as_str(cls, *, method, url, headers, content=None):
         if content:
+            if isinstance(content, bytes):
+                content = content.decode('utf-8', 'backslashreplace')
             content = '\n\n{}\n'.format(content)
         else:
             content = ""
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ def repr_as_str(cls, *, method, url, headers, content=None):
     def __str__(self):
         content = self.content
         if isinstance(content, bytes):
-            content = content.decode()
+            content = content.decode('utf-8', 'backslashreplace')
         return self.repr_as_str(
             method = self.__request.method,
             url = self.url,
@@ -225,9 +227,10 @@ def __build_request(self):
         try:
             if self.__content:
                 data = self.__content.content
-                named_matches = re.findall(_NAMED_PATTERN, data)
-                if named_matches:
-                    raise HttpRequestCreationError("{} : {}".format(req_repr, "Found pending placeholders in request content: {}. Fix formatting logic to correctly send this request.".format(named_matches)))
+                if type(data) is not bytes:
+                    named_matches = re.findall(_NAMED_PATTERN, data)
+                    if named_matches:
+                        raise HttpRequestCreationError("{} : {}".format(req_repr, "Found pending placeholders in request content: {}. Fix formatting logic to correctly send this request.".format(named_matches)))
             else:
                 data = None