diff --git a/moto/core/responses.py b/moto/core/responses.py
index 2d0e485ba..a5a1f3880 100644
--- a/moto/core/responses.py
+++ b/moto/core/responses.py
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ class BaseResponse(_TemplateEnvironmentMixin):
             for key, value in request.form.items():
                 querystring[key] = [value, ]
 
+        raw_body = self.body
         if isinstance(self.body, six.binary_type):
             self.body = self.body.decode('utf-8')
 
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ class BaseResponse(_TemplateEnvironmentMixin):
                 for key, value in flat.items():
                     querystring[key] = [value]
             elif self.body:
-                querystring.update(parse_qs(self.body, keep_blank_values=True))
+                querystring.update(parse_qs(raw_body, keep_blank_values=True))
         if not querystring:
             querystring.update(headers)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py b/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
index 2889e520f..0df4c2dc9 100644
--- a/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
+++ b/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import boto
@@ -54,6 +55,20 @@ def test_message_send():
     messages.should.have.length_of(1)
 
 
+@mock_sqs
+def test_send_message_with_unicode_characters():
+    body_one = 'Héllo!😀'
+
+    sqs = boto3.resource('sqs', region_name='us-east-1')
+    queue = sqs.create_queue(QueueName="blah")
+    msg = queue.send_message(MessageBody=body_one)
+
+    messages = queue.receive_messages()
+    message_body = messages[0].body
+
+    message_body.should.equal(body_one)
+
+
 @mock_sqs
 def test_set_queue_attributes():
     sqs = boto3.resource('sqs', region_name='us-east-1')