diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/debian/changelog yara-python-3.9.0/debian/changelog
--- yara-python-3.8.0/debian/changelog	2018-11-03 12:10:53.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/debian/changelog	2019-02-22 22:45:21.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-yara-python (3.8.0-1build1) disco; urgency=medium
+yara-python (3.9.0-1) unstable; urgency=medium
 
-  * No-change rebuild to build without python3.6 support.
+  * New upstream version 3.9.0
+  * Bump Debhelper compat level
+  * Bump Standards-Version
+  * Bump libyara build dependency
 
- -- Matthias Klose <doko@ubuntu.com>  Sat, 03 Nov 2018 12:10:53 +0000
+ -- Hilko Bengen <bengen@debian.org>  Fri, 22 Feb 2019 23:45:21 +0100
 
 yara-python (3.8.0-1) unstable; urgency=medium
 
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/debian/compat yara-python-3.9.0/debian/compat
--- yara-python-3.8.0/debian/compat	2017-11-11 11:42:20.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/debian/compat	2019-02-22 22:41:53.000000000 +0000
@@ -1 +1 @@
-10
+12
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/debian/control yara-python-3.9.0/debian/control
--- yara-python-3.8.0/debian/control	2018-08-10 12:45:25.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/debian/control	2019-02-22 22:44:53.000000000 +0000
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 Priority: optional
 Maintainer: Hilko Bengen <bengen@debian.org>
 Uploaders: Debian Security Tools <team+pkg-security@tracker.debian.org>
-Build-Depends: debhelper (>=10), dh-python,
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 12~), dh-python,
  python-all-dev (>= 2.6.6-3~), python-setuptools,
  python3-all-dev, python3-setuptools,
- libyara-dev (>= 3.8),
-Standards-Version: 4.2.0
+ libyara-dev (>= 3.9),
+Standards-Version: 4.3.0
 Homepage: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/yara-python
 Vcs-Git: https://salsa.debian.org/pkg-security-team/yara-python.git
 Vcs-Browser: https://salsa.debian.org/pkg-security-team/yara-python
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/.gitmodules yara-python-3.9.0/.gitmodules
--- yara-python-3.8.0/.gitmodules	2018-08-06 14:26:33.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/.gitmodules	2019-02-22 17:05:58.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [submodule "yara"]
 path = yara	
-url=https://plusvic@github.com/VirusTotal/yara.git
+url=https://github.com/VirusTotal/yara.git
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/setup.py yara-python-3.9.0/setup.py
--- yara-python-3.8.0/setup.py	2018-08-06 14:26:33.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/setup.py	2019-02-22 17:05:58.000000000 +0000
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name='yara-python',
-    version='3.8.0',
+    version='3.9.0',
     description='Python interface for YARA',
     long_description=readme,
     license='Apache 2.0',
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/tests.py yara-python-3.9.0/tests.py
--- yara-python-3.8.0/tests.py	2018-08-06 14:26:33.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/tests.py	2019-02-22 17:05:58.000000000 +0000
@@ -813,6 +813,15 @@
         r = yara.compile(source='rule test { condition: ext_str matches /ssi$/ }', externals={'ext_str': 'mississippi'})
         self.assertFalse(r.match(data='dummy'))
 
+        if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
+            self.assertTrue(yara.compile(
+                source="rule test { condition: true}",
+                externals={'foo': u'\u6765\u6613\u7f51\u7edc\u79d1' }))
+        else:
+            self.assertRaises(UnicodeEncodeError, yara.compile,
+                source="rule test { condition: true}",
+                externals={'foo': u'\u6765\u6613\u7f51\u7edc\u79d1' })
+
     def testCallbackAll(self):
         global rule_data
         rule_data = []
diff -Nru yara-python-3.8.0/yara-python.c yara-python-3.9.0/yara-python.c
--- yara-python-3.8.0/yara-python.c	2018-08-06 14:26:33.000000000 +0000
+++ yara-python-3.9.0/yara-python.c	2019-02-22 17:05:58.000000000 +0000
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@
 
 #if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
 #define PY_STRING(x) PyUnicode_FromString(x)
-#define PY_STRING_TO_C(x) PyBytes_AsString(\
-                            PyUnicode_AsEncodedString(x, "utf-8", "strict"))
+#define PY_STRING_TO_C(x) PyUnicode_AsUTF8(x)
 #define PY_STRING_CHECK(x) PyUnicode_Check(x)
 #else
 #define PY_STRING(x) PyString_FromString(x)
@@ -425,7 +424,7 @@
   {
     case OBJECT_TYPE_INTEGER:
       if (object->value.i != UNDEFINED)
-        result = Py_BuildValue("i", object->value.i);
+        result = Py_BuildValue("l", object->value.i);
       break;
 
     case OBJECT_TYPE_STRING:
@@ -1003,10 +1002,13 @@
     }
     else if (PY_STRING_CHECK(value))
     {
+      char* str = PY_STRING_TO_C(value);
+
+      if (str == NULL)
+        return ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+
       result = yr_compiler_define_string_variable(
-          compiler,
-          identifier,
-          PY_STRING_TO_C(value));
+          compiler, identifier, str);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -1070,10 +1072,13 @@
     }
     else if (PY_STRING_CHECK(value))
     {
+      char* str = PY_STRING_TO_C(value);
+
+      if (str == NULL)
+        return ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+
       result = yr_rules_define_string_variable(
-          rules,
-          identifier,
-          PY_STRING_TO_C(value));
+          rules, identifier, str);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -2367,6 +2372,10 @@
   if (PyType_Ready(&Match_Type) < 0)
     return MOD_ERROR_VAL;
 
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "Rule", (PyObject*) &Rule_Type);
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "Rules", (PyObject*) &Rules_Type);
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "Match",  (PyObject*) &Match_Type);
+
   PyModule_AddObject(m, "Error", YaraError);
   PyModule_AddObject(m, "SyntaxError", YaraSyntaxError);
   PyModule_AddObject(m, "TimeoutError", YaraTimeoutError);