diff --git a/moto/iam/models.py b/moto/iam/models.py
index 5110a012e..c204a60d9 100644
--- a/moto/iam/models.py
+++ b/moto/iam/models.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from boto.exception import BotoServerError
 from moto.core import BaseBackend
 from .utils import random_access_key, random_alphanumeric, random_resource_id
 from datetime import datetime
-import base64
+import codecs
 
 class Role(object):
 
@@ -446,6 +446,6 @@ class IAMBackend(BaseBackend):
         report = 'user,arn,user_creation_time,password_enabled,password_last_used,password_last_changed,password_next_rotation,mfa_active,access_key_1_active,access_key_1_last_rotated,access_key_2_active,access_key_2_last_rotated,cert_1_active,cert_1_last_rotated,cert_2_active,cert_2_last_rotated\n'
         for user in self.users:
             report += self.users[user].to_csv()
-        return base64.b64encode(report.encode('ascii'))
+        return codecs.encode(report.encode('ascii'), 'base64').decode('ascii')
 
 iam_backend = IAMBackend()
diff --git a/tests/test_iam/test_iam.py b/tests/test_iam/test_iam.py
index 0538c5f17..4f13fd256 100644
--- a/tests/test_iam/test_iam.py
+++ b/tests/test_iam/test_iam.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import re
 
 from nose.tools import assert_raises, assert_equals, assert_not_equals
 from boto.exception import BotoServerError
-import base64
+import codecs
 from moto import mock_iam
 
 
@@ -220,5 +220,5 @@ def test_get_credential_report():
     while result['generate_credential_report_response']['generate_credential_report_result']['state'] != 'COMPLETE':
         result = conn.generate_credential_report()
     result = conn.get_credential_report()
-    report = base64.b64decode(result['get_credential_report_response']['get_credential_report_result']['content'])
+    report = codecs.decode(result['get_credential_report_response']['get_credential_report_result']['content'].encode('ascii'), 'base64').decode('ascii')
     report.should.match(r'.*my-user.*')
\ No newline at end of file