diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 50daea091..0ae82c955
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from beets import autotag
 import beets.autotag.art
 from beets import plugins
 from beets import importer
-from beets.util import syspath, normpath, ancestry
+from beets.util import syspath, normpath, ancestry, displayable_path
 from beets import library
 
 # Global logger.
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def show_change(cur_artist, cur_album, items, info, dist, color=True):
 
         # Show filename (non-colorized) when title is not set.
         if not item.title.strip():
-            cur_title = os.path.basename(item.path)
+            cur_title = displayable_path(os.path.basename(item.path))
         
         if cur_title != new_title and cur_track != new_track:
             print_(u" * %s (%s) -> %s (%s)" % (
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index 0895b8c2d..0f8d20dfc 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -150,9 +150,22 @@ def bytestring_path(path):
     encoding = sys.getfilesystemencoding() or sys.getdefaultencoding()
     try:
         return path.encode(encoding)
-    except UnicodeError:
+    except (UnicodeError, LookupError):
         return path.encode('utf8')
 
+def displayable_path(path):
+    """Attempts to decode a bytestring path to a unicode object for the
+    purpose of displaying it to the user.
+    """
+    if isinstance(path, unicode):
+        return path
+
+    encoding = sys.getfilesystemencoding() or sys.getdefaultencoding()
+    try:
+        return path.decode(encoding, 'ignore')
+    except (UnicodeError, LookupError):
+        return path.decode('utf8', 'ignore')
+
 def syspath(path, pathmod=None):
     """Convert a path for use by the operating system. In particular,
     paths on Windows must receive a magic prefix and must be converted
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 358fab4d3..9929a0ebc 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Changelog
   that looks like an MBID in the entered string. This means that full
   MusicBrainz URLs now work as IDs at the prompt. (Thanks to derwin.)
 * Fix a crash after using the "as Tracks" option during import.
+* Fix a Unicode error when tagging items with missing titles.
 
 .. _KraYmer: https://github.com/KraYmer
 .. _Next Generation Schema: http://musicbrainz.org/doc/XML_Web_Service/Version_2
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 9895b97a6..f22aa907d 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -580,6 +580,78 @@ class ManualIDTest(unittest.TestCase):
         out = commands.manual_id(False)
         self.assertEqual(out, AN_ID)
 
+class ShowChangeTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.io = _common.DummyIO()
+        self.io.install()
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.io.restore()
+
+    def _items_and_info(self):
+        items = [_common.item()]
+        items[0].track = 1
+        items[0].path = '/path/to/file.mp3'
+        info = autotag.AlbumInfo(
+            'the album', 'album id', 'the artist', 'artist id', [
+                autotag.TrackInfo('the title', 'track id')
+        ])
+        return items, info
+
+    def test_null_change(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        commands.show_change('the artist', 'the album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue('similarity: 90' in msg)
+        self.assertTrue('tagging:' in msg)
+
+    def test_album_data_change(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        commands.show_change('another artist', 'another album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue('correcting tags from:' in msg)
+
+    def test_item_data_change(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        items[0].title = 'different'
+        commands.show_change('the artist', 'the album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue('different -> the title' in msg)
+
+    def test_item_data_change_with_unicode(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        items[0].title = u'caf\xe9'
+        commands.show_change('the artist', 'the album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue(u'caf\xe9 -> the title' in msg.decode('utf8'))
+
+    def test_album_data_change_with_unicode(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        commands.show_change(u'caf\xe9', u'another album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue('correcting tags from:' in msg)
+
+    def test_item_data_change_title_missing(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        items[0].title = ''
+        commands.show_change('the artist', 'the album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue('file.mp3 -> the title' in msg)
+
+    def test_item_data_change_title_missing_with_unicode_filename(self):
+        items, info = self._items_and_info()
+        items[0].title = ''
+        items[0].path = u'/path/to/caf\xe9.mp3'.encode('utf8')
+        commands.show_change('the artist', 'the album',
+                             items, info, 0.1, color=False)
+        msg = self.io.getoutput().lower()
+        self.assertTrue(u'caf\xe9.mp3 -> the title' in msg.decode('utf8'))
+
 def suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)