diff --git a/swh/indexer/journal_client.py b/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
--- a/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@
     task_dicts = []
     logging.debug('processing origin visits %r', visits)
     if task_names.get('origin_metadata'):
-        visits = [visit for visit in visits if visit[b'status'] == b'full']
+        visits = [visit for visit in visits if visit['status'] == 'full']
         visit_batches = grouper(visits, MAX_ORIGINS_PER_TASK)
         for visit_batch in visit_batches:
             task_dicts.append(create_task_dict(
                 task_names['origin_metadata'],
                 'oneshot',
-                [visit[b'origin'][b'url'] for visit in visit_batch],
+                [visit['origin']['url'] for visit in visit_batch],
                 policy_update='update-dups',
             ))
 
diff --git a/swh/indexer/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/indexer/tests/test_cli.py
--- a/swh/indexer/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -333,9 +333,9 @@
         topic='swh.journal.objects.origin_visit')
     message = namedtuple('_message', ['value'])(
         value={
-            b'status': b'full',
-            b'origin': {
-                b'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
+            'status': 'full',
+            'origin': {
+                'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
             }
         }
     )
diff --git a/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py b/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
--- a/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
         messages = {
             'origin_visit': [
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
                     }
                 },
             ]
@@ -46,15 +46,15 @@
         messages = {
             'origin_visit': [
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
                     }
                 },
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///tmp/foobar',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///tmp/foobar',
                     }
                 },
             ]
@@ -84,21 +84,21 @@
         messages = {
             'origin_visit': [
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///dev/zero',
                     }
                 },
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///tmp/foobar',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///tmp/foobar',
                     }
                 },
                 {
-                    b'status': b'full',
-                    b'origin': {
-                        b'url': 'file:///tmp/spamegg',
+                    'status': 'full',
+                    'origin': {
+                        'url': 'file:///tmp/spamegg',
                     }
                 },
             ]