diff --git a/diaspora_auth_provider.py b/diaspora_auth_provider.py
index 143b2e5f1d7c7541ac4f8b8726fa3cc93fd0f782..ab72fe7b49babae76bf920354842df67a04f7796 100644
--- a/diaspora_auth_provider.py
+++ b/diaspora_auth_provider.py
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ import bcrypt
 
 import logging
 
-__VERSION__ = "0.0.6"
+__VERSION__ = "0.0.7"
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class DiasporaAuthProvider:
-    __version__ = "0.0.6"
+    __version__ = "0.0.7"
 
     def __init__(self, config, account_handler):
         self.account_handler = account_handler
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class DiasporaAuthProvider:
             logger.debug("User {} exists. Checking password".format(local_part))
             # user exists, check if the password is correct.
             encrypted_password = user[1]
-            peppered_pass = "{}{}".format(password, self.config.pepper)
+            peppered_pass = u"{}{}".format(password, self.config.pepper)
             if not (bcrypt.hashpw(peppered_pass.encode('utf8'), encrypted_password.encode('utf8'))
                         == encrypted_password.encode('utf8')):
                 logger.info("Password given for {} is wrong. Rejecting auth request.".format(local_part))
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index e122103ebaaccf57d96c330ca32ca51a8f0f687b..2e839210507ccc0795c6bb6ed160bcc150e31fd0 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 psycopg2
 bcrypt
-Twisted>=15.1.0
\ No newline at end of file
+pymysql
+Twisted>=15.1.0