diff --git a/python/port/genhdr/qstrdefs.in.h b/python/port/genhdr/qstrdefs.in.h
index ff18301c9..c34eb98e3 100644
--- a/python/port/genhdr/qstrdefs.in.h
+++ b/python/port/genhdr/qstrdefs.in.h
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ Q(StopIteration)
 Q(SyntaxError)
 Q(SystemExit)
 Q(TypeError)
+Q(UnicodeError)
 Q(ValueError)
 Q(ZeroDivisionError)
 Q(_0x0a_)
diff --git a/python/port/mpconfigport.h b/python/port/mpconfigport.h
index 77348f656..845bd0944 100644
--- a/python/port/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/python/port/mpconfigport.h
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@
 // Whether to support property object
 #define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_PROPERTY (0)
 
+// Whether to support unicode strings
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_STR_UNICODE (1)
+
 // Whether to set __file__ for imported modules
 #define MICROPY_PY___FILE__ (0)