diff --git a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
index 4e0c45a37..175d6fda0 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/_code/code.py
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ class ExceptionInfo(object):
         )
         if not re.search(regexp, value):
             raise AssertionError(
-                u"Pattern '{}' not found in '{}'".format(regexp, value)
+                u"Pattern {!r} not found in {!r}".format(regexp, value)
             )
         return True
 
diff --git a/testing/python/raises.py b/testing/python/raises.py
index 70f4af306..9cd3ec717 100644
--- a/testing/python/raises.py
+++ b/testing/python/raises.py
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ class TestRaises(object):
             int("asdf")
 
         msg = "with base 16"
-        expr = r"Pattern '{}' not found in 'invalid literal for int\(\) with base 10: 'asdf''".format(
+        expr = r"Pattern '{}' not found in \"invalid literal for int\(\) with base 10: 'asdf'\"".format(
             msg
         )
         with pytest.raises(AssertionError, match=expr):
@@ -305,6 +305,18 @@ class TestUnicodeHandling:
             pytest.param(
                 u"hello", b"world", pytest.raises(AssertionError), marks=py2_only
             ),
+            pytest.param(
+                u"😊".encode("UTF-8"),
+                b"world",
+                pytest.raises(AssertionError),
+                marks=py2_only,
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                u"world",
+                u"😊".encode("UTF-8"),
+                pytest.raises(AssertionError),
+                marks=py2_only,
+            ),
         ],
     )
     def test_handling(self, message, match, expectation):