diff --git a/salt/modules/ldap3.py b/salt/modules/ldap3.py
index 9b11745709cb..30452f55e7b0 100644
--- a/salt/modules/ldap3.py
+++ b/salt/modules/ldap3.py
@@ -402,18 +402,14 @@ def add(connect_spec, dn, attributes):
     # convert the "iterable of values" to lists in case that's what
     # addModlist() expects (also to ensure that the caller's objects
     # are not modified)
-    attributes = dict(((attr, list(vals))
+    attributes = dict(((attr, salt.utils.data.encode(list(vals)))
                        for attr, vals in six.iteritems(attributes)))
     log.info('adding entry: dn: %s attributes: %s', repr(dn), repr(attributes))
 
     if 'unicodePwd' in attributes:
         attributes['unicodePwd'] = [_format_unicode_password(x) for x in attributes['unicodePwd']]
 
-    modlist = salt.utils.data.decode(
-        ldap.modlist.addModlist(attributes),
-        to_str=True,
-        preserve_tuples=True
-    )
+    modlist = ldap.modlist.addModlist(attributes),
     try:
         l.c.add_s(dn, modlist)
     except ldap.LDAPError as e:
@@ -572,19 +568,16 @@ def change(connect_spec, dn, before, after):
     # convert the "iterable of values" to lists in case that's what
     # modifyModlist() expects (also to ensure that the caller's dicts
     # are not modified)
-    before = dict(((attr, list(vals))
+    before = dict(((attr, salt.utils.data.encode(list(vals)))
                    for attr, vals in six.iteritems(before)))
-    after = dict(((attr, list(vals))
+    after = dict(((attr, salt.utils.data.encode(list(vals)))
                   for attr, vals in six.iteritems(after)))
 
     if 'unicodePwd' in after:
         after['unicodePwd'] = [_format_unicode_password(x) for x in after['unicodePwd']]
 
-    modlist = salt.utils.data.decode(
-        ldap.modlist.modifyModlist(before, after),
-        to_str=True,
-        preserve_tuples=True
-    )
+    modlist = ldap.modlist.modifyModlist(before, after)
+
     try:
         l.c.modify_s(dn, modlist)
     except ldap.LDAPError as e: