diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_util.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_util.py
index bf0d4333f9..b43ce21b45 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_util.py
@@ -285,6 +285,25 @@ class UtilTestCase(support.EnvironGuard, unittest.TestCase):
                   'header%(8s)s') % {'8s': '\n'+8*' '}
         self.assertEqual(res, wanted)
 
+    def test_rfc822_escape_is_bytes(self):
+        header = b'I am a\npoor\nlonesome\nheader\n'
+        res = rfc822_escape(header)
+        wanted = ('I am a%(8s)spoor%(8s)slonesome%(8s)s'
+                  'header%(8s)s') % {'8s': '\n'+8*' '}
+        self.assertEqual(res, wanted)
+
+    def test_rfc822_escape_is_none(self):
+        header = None
+        res = rfc822_escape(header)
+        wanted = ('None')
+        self.assertEqual(res, wanted)
+
+    def test_rfc822_escape_is_int(self):
+        header = int(1234)
+        res = rfc822_escape(header)
+        wanted = ('1234')
+        self.assertEqual(res, wanted)
+
     def test_dont_write_bytecode(self):
         # makes sure byte_compile raise a DistutilsError
         # if sys.dont_write_bytecode is True
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/util.py b/Lib/distutils/util.py
index 17a94bc428..3dfff93ed7 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/util.py
@@ -472,6 +472,10 @@ def rfc822_escape (header):
     """Return a version of the string escaped for inclusion in an
     RFC-822 header, by ensuring there are 8 spaces space after each newline.
     """
+    if isinstance(header, bytes):
+        header = header.decode("utf-8")
+    elif not isinstance(header, str):
+        header = str(header)  # force str anyway
     lines = header.split('\n')
     sep = '\n' + 8 * ' '
     return sep.join(lines)