diff --git a/salt/output/highstate.py b/salt/output/highstate.py
index 1ec626f14b22..c212c20cd63d 100644
--- a/salt/output/highstate.py
+++ b/salt/output/highstate.py
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@
 
 # Import salt libs
 import salt.utils
-import salt.utils.locales
 import salt.output
 from salt.utils.locales import sdecode
 
@@ -87,6 +86,8 @@ def output(data):
 
 
 def _format_host(host, data):
+    host = sdecode(host)
+
     colors = salt.utils.get_colors(
             __opts__.get('color'),
             __opts__.get('color_theme'))
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ def _format_host(host, data):
             if ret['result'] is None:
                 hcolor = colors['LIGHT_YELLOW']
                 tcolor = colors['LIGHT_YELLOW']
-            comps = tname.split('_|-')
+            comps = [sdecode(comp) for comp in tname.split('_|-')]
             if __opts__.get('state_output', 'full').lower() == 'filter':
                 # By default, full data is shown for all types. However, return
                 # data may be excluded by setting state_output_exclude to a
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ def _format_host(host, data):
                 # but try to continue on errors
                 pass
             try:
-                comment = salt.utils.locales.sdecode(ret['comment'])
+                comment = sdecode(ret['comment'])
                 comment = comment.strip().replace(
                         u'\n',
                         u'\n' + u' ' * 14)
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ def _format_host(host, data):
                 'tcolor': tcolor,
                 'comps': comps,
                 'ret': ret,
-                'comment': comment,
+                'comment': sdecode(comment),
                 # This nukes any trailing \n and indents the others.
                 'colors': colors
             }
diff --git a/salt/state.py b/salt/state.py
index e3b2a9bb7de9..1dec60b4ec6a 100644
--- a/salt/state.py
+++ b/salt/state.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 from salt.template import compile_template, compile_template_str
 from salt.exceptions import SaltRenderError, SaltReqTimeoutError, SaltException
 from salt.utils.odict import OrderedDict, DefaultOrderedDict
+from salt.utils.locales import sdecode
 
 # Import third party libs
 # pylint: disable=import-error,no-name-in-module,redefined-builtin
@@ -494,6 +495,7 @@ def order_chunks(self, chunks):
                 chunk['order'] = chunk['order'] + chunk.pop('name_order') / 10000.0
             if chunk['order'] < 0:
                 chunk['order'] = cap + 1000000 + chunk['order']
+            chunk['name'] = sdecode(chunk['name'])
         chunks.sort(key=lambda chunk: (chunk['order'], '{0[state]}{0[name]}{0[fun]}'.format(chunk)))
         return chunks
 
diff --git a/salt/states/file.py b/salt/states/file.py
index 670dfef3366b..58cb12df2ad6 100644
--- a/salt/states/file.py
+++ b/salt/states/file.py
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ def run():
 import salt.utils
 import salt.utils.templates
 import salt.utils.url
+from salt.utils.locales import sdecode
 from salt.exceptions import CommandExecutionError
 from salt.serializers import yaml as yaml_serializer
 from salt.serializers import json as json_serializer
@@ -2082,7 +2083,7 @@ def recurse(name,
         recursively removed so that symlink creation can proceed. This
         option is usually not needed except in special circumstances.
     '''
-    name = os.path.expanduser(name)
+    name = os.path.expanduser(sdecode(name))
 
     user = _test_owner(kwargs, user=user)
     if salt.utils.is_windows():
@@ -2319,7 +2320,7 @@ def process_symlinks(filenames, symlinks):
         # the file to copy from; it is either a normal file or an
         # empty dir(if include_empty==true).
 
-        relname = os.path.relpath(fn_, srcpath)
+        relname = sdecode(os.path.relpath(fn_, srcpath))
         if relname.startswith('..'):
             continue