diff --git a/frontends/src/jp/common.py b/frontends/src/jp/common.py
index ff9fe74a..b6fbc875 100644
--- a/frontends/src/jp/common.py
+++ b/frontends/src/jp/common.py
@@ -425,7 +425,9 @@ class BaseEdit(object):
                 except KeyError:
                     self.disp(u'No node found in xmpp: URI, can\'t retrieve item', error=True)
                     self.host.quit(1)
-                pubsub_item = pubsub_data.get('item',[None])[0].decode('utf-8')
+                pubsub_item = pubsub_data.get('item',[None])[0]
+                if pubsub_item is not None:
+                    pubsub_item = pubsub_item.decode('utf-8')
                 if pubsub_item is None and self.args.last_item:
                     command = 'last'
                 elif pubsub_item is not None: