--- a/testing/marionette/client/marionette_driver/geckoinstance.py
+++ b/testing/marionette/client/marionette_driver/geckoinstance.py
@@ -197,27 +197,27 @@ class GeckoInstance(object):
         else:
             profile_args = self.profile_args
             profile_path = profile
 
             # If a path to a profile is given then clone it
             if isinstance(profile_path, basestring):
                 profile_args["path_from"] = profile_path
                 profile_args["path_to"] = tempfile.mkdtemp(
-                    suffix=".{}".format(profile_name or os.path.basename(profile_path)),
+                    suffix=u".{}".format(profile_name or os.path.basename(profile_path)),
                     dir=self.workspace)
                 # The target must not exist yet
                 os.rmdir(profile_args["path_to"])
 
                 profile = Profile.clone(**profile_args)
 
             # Otherwise create a new profile
             else:
                 profile_args["profile"] = tempfile.mkdtemp(
-                    suffix=".{}".format(profile_name or "mozrunner"),
+                    suffix=u".{}".format(profile_name or "mozrunner"),
                     dir=self.workspace)
                 profile = Profile(**profile_args)
                 profile.create_new = True
 
         if isinstance(self.profile, Profile):
             self.profile.cleanup()
 
         self._profile = profile

--- a/testing/marionette/harness/marionette_harness/tests/unit/test_profile_management.py
+++ b/testing/marionette/harness/marionette_harness/tests/unit/test_profile_management.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+# coding=UTF-8
+
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -167,16 +169,34 @@ class TestSwitchProfileWithoutWorkspace(
     def test_new_named_profile(self):
         self.marionette.instance.switch_profile("foobar")
         self.marionette.start_session()
 
         self.assertNotEqual(self.profile_path, self.orig_profile_path)
         self.assertIn("foobar", self.profile_path)
         self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.orig_profile_path))
 
+    def test_new_named_profile_unicode(self):
+        """Test using unicode string with 1-4 bytes encoding works."""
+        self.marionette.instance.switch_profile(u"$¢€🍪")
+        self.marionette.start_session()
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(self.profile_path, self.orig_profile_path)
+        self.assertIn(u"$¢€🍪", self.profile_path)
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.orig_profile_path))
+
+    def test_new_named_profile_unicode_escape_characters(self):
+        """Test using escaped unicode string with 1-4 bytes encoding works."""
+        self.marionette.instance.switch_profile(u"\u0024\u00A2\u20AC\u1F36A")
+        self.marionette.start_session()
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(self.profile_path, self.orig_profile_path)
+        self.assertIn(u"\u0024\u00A2\u20AC\u1F36A", self.profile_path)
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.orig_profile_path))
+
     def test_clone_existing_profile(self):
         self.marionette.instance.switch_profile(clone_from=self.external_profile)
         self.marionette.start_session()
 
         self.assertIn(os.path.basename(self.external_profile.profile), self.profile_path)
         self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(self.external_profile.profile))
 
     def test_replace_with_current_profile(self):