diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/framework.py b/python/paddle/fluid/framework.py
index 82ff62ff758f18d14b8dc65b098b28c7d4b26abb..3d7c29c6ea33ebc49b071681c5f9746b97445aa3 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/framework.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/framework.py
@@ -533,6 +533,10 @@ class Operator(object):
                                 in_arg_names.append(arg.name)
                             elif isinstance(arg.name, six.binary_type):
                                 in_arg_names.append(arg.name.decode())
+                            else:
+                                raise TypeError(
+                                    "arguments require unicode, str or bytes, but get %s instead."
+                                    % (type(arg.name)))
                     self.desc.set_input(in_proto.name, in_arg_names)
                 else:
                     self.desc.set_input(in_proto.name, [])
@@ -566,7 +570,9 @@ class Operator(object):
                     elif isinstance(arg.name, six.binary_type):
                         out_arg_names.append(arg.name.decode())
                     else:
-                        out_arg_names.append(six.u(arg.name))
+                        raise TypeError(
+                            "arguments require unicode, str or bytes, but get %s instead."
+                            % (type(arg.name)))
                     arg.op = self
                 self.desc.set_output(out_proto.name, out_arg_names)
 
diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py b/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
index 64337465ed0778edf89c5c4fda06cd27b3f386f2..0c2b1eb795860373220eb254612161f7dc816ffd 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
@@ -401,6 +401,8 @@ class LayerHelper(object):
             return input_var
         if isinstance(act, six.string_types):
             act = {'type': act}
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(str(act) + " should be unicode or str")
 
         if 'use_cudnn' in self.kwargs and self.kwargs.get('use_cudnn'):
             act['use_cudnn'] = self.kwargs.get('use_cudnn')
diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/unique_name.py b/python/paddle/fluid/unique_name.py
index d4e28f4b9193d0b233344c0acb39ef956a7007c7..36af91eab45e1b2dfe9bb26cf57d192c05f5091f 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/unique_name.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/unique_name.py
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ def switch(new_generator=None):
 def guard(new_generator=None):
     if isinstance(new_generator, six.string_types):
         new_generator = UniqueNameGenerator(new_generator)
+    elif isinstance(new_generator, six.binary_type):
+        new_generator = UniqueNameGenerator(new_generator.decode())
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(str(new_generator) + " should be unicode or str")
     old = switch(new_generator)
     yield
     switch(old)
diff --git a/python/paddle/reader/creator.py b/python/paddle/reader/creator.py
index 369ff5e22b75cf33054d51f8075507d613d93468..c861020225fb6fe0a29653363c2151b20dc8f578 100644
--- a/python/paddle/reader/creator.py
+++ b/python/paddle/reader/creator.py
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ def recordio(paths, buf_size=100):
     def reader():
         if isinstance(paths, six.string_types):
             path = paths
+        elif isinstance(paths, six.binary_type):
+            path = paths.decode()
         else:
             path = ",".join(paths)
         f = rec.reader(path)