diff --git a/recipes/README.recipes.md b/recipes/README.recipes.md
index de9b65f26..bff2f5830 100644
--- a/recipes/README.recipes.md
+++ b/recipes/README.recipes.md
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ PYTHON_VERSION_COMPATIBILITY: PY2+3
 
 Module for polling a git repository using the Gitiles web interface.
 
-— **def [canonicalize\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#231)(self, repo_url):**
+— **def [canonicalize\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#227)(self, repo_url):**
 
 Returns a canonical form of repo_url. If not recognized, returns as is.
     
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ Args:
   * step_name (str): If not None, override the step name.
   * attempts (int): Number of times to try the request before failing.
 
-— **def [download\_archive](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#171)(self, repository_url, destination, revision='refs/heads/main'):**
+— **def [download\_archive](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#167)(self, repository_url, destination, revision='refs/heads/main'):**
 
 Downloads an archive of the repo and extracts it to `destination`.
 
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ Returns:
   Cursor can be used for subsequent calls to log for paging. If None,
   signals that there are no more commits to fetch.
 
-— **def [parse\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#220)(self, repo_url):**
+— **def [parse\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#216)(self, repo_url):**
 
 Returns (host, project) pair.
 
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ Returns (None, None) if repo_url is not recognized.
 
 Returns a list of refs in the remote repository.
 
-— **def [unparse\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#227)(self, host, project):**
+— **def [unparse\_repo\_url](/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py#223)(self, host, project):**
 
 Generates a Gitiles repo URL. See also parse_repo_url.
 ### *recipe_modules* / [gsutil](/recipes/recipe_modules/gsutil)
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py
index e422063d5..4787592c3 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/api.py
@@ -158,15 +158,11 @@ class Gitiles(recipe_api.RecipeApi):
         **kwargs)
     if step_result.json.output['value'] is None:
       return None
-
+    # TODO(crbug.com/1227140): Clean up when py2 is no longer supported.
     value = base64.b64decode(step_result.json.output['value'])
-    try:
-      # TODO(crbug.com/1227140): Clean up when py2 is no longer supported.
-      # If the file is not utf-8 encodable, return the bytes
-      if sys.version_info >= (3,):
-        value = value.decode('utf-8')
-    finally:
-      return value
+    if sys.version_info >= (3,):
+      return value.decode('utf-8')
+    return value
 
   def download_archive(self, repository_url, destination,
                        revision='refs/heads/main'):
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.expected/basic.json b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.expected/basic.json
index 7f3205803..b61b1bf5c 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.expected/basic.json
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.expected/basic.json
@@ -529,22 +529,6 @@
     ],
     "name": "fetch main:OWNERS"
   },
-  {
-    "cmd": [
-      "vpython3",
-      "-u",
-      "RECIPE_MODULE[depot_tools::gitiles]/resources/gerrit_client.py",
-      "--json-file",
-      "/path/to/tmp/json",
-      "--url",
-      "https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/BYTES",
-      "--format",
-      "text",
-      "--attempts",
-      "5"
-    ],
-    "name": "fetch main:BYTES"
-  },
   {
     "cmd": [
       "vpython3",
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.py b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.py
index 502aa8c18..9a96d80a2 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.py
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/examples/full.py
@@ -23,10 +23,6 @@ def RunSteps(api):
 
   data = api.gitiles.download_file(url, 'OWNERS', attempts=5)
   assert data == 'foobar'
-
-  data = api.gitiles.download_file(url, 'BYTES', attempts=5)
-  assert data == b'\xab'
-
   data = api.gitiles.download_file(url, 'NONEXISTENT', attempts=1,
                                    accept_statuses=[404])
 
@@ -77,10 +73,6 @@ def GenTests(api):
           'fetch main:OWNERS',
           api.gitiles.make_encoded_file('foobar')
       )
-      + api.step_data(
-          'fetch main:BYTES',
-          api.gitiles.make_encoded_file_from_bytes(b'\xab')
-      )
       + api.step_data(
           'fetch main:NONEXISTENT',
           api.json.output({'value': None})
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/test_api.py b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/test_api.py
index 06b6f43c2..7256a5bd1 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/test_api.py
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/gitiles/test_api.py
@@ -90,23 +90,12 @@ class GitilesTestApi(recipe_test_api.RecipeTestApi):
     return hashlib.sha1(':'.join(bases).encode('utf-8')).hexdigest()
 
   def make_encoded_file(self, data):
-    """Encodes data into base64.
-
-    Args:
-      data (str): unicode-encodable string.
-    Returns: (str) base64-encoded data string.
-    """
+    value = None
+    # TODO(crbug.com/1227140): Clean up when py2 is no longer supported.
+    try:
+      value = base64.b64encode(data.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:  #pragma: nocover
+      value = base64.b64encode(data)
     return self.m.json.output({
-        'value': base64.b64encode(data.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8'),
+        'value': value,
     })
-
-  def make_encoded_file_from_bytes(self, data):
-    """Encodes data into base64.
-
-    Args:
-      data (bytes): byte string to encode.
-    Returns: (str) base64-encoded data string.
-    """
-    return self.m.json.output({
-        'value': base64.b64encode(data).decode('utf-8'),
-    })
\ No newline at end of file