diff --git a/autoload/pymatcher.py b/autoload/pymatcher.py
index 57a2e3c..4b1e08c 100644
--- a/autoload/pymatcher.py
+++ b/autoload/pymatcher.py
@@ -1,23 +1,43 @@
-import vim, re
+import re
+import vim
 import heapq
 
-_escape = dict((c , "\\" + c) for c in ['^','$','.','{','}','(',')','[',']','\\','/','+'])
+_escape = dict((c, "\\" + c) for c in [
+    '^', '$', '.', '{', '}', '(', ')', '[', ']', '\\', '/', '+'])
+
 
 def CtrlPPyMatch():
-    items = vim.eval('a:items')
+    try:
+        _doCtrlPPyMatch()
+    except Exception as ex:
+        import traceback
+        tb = traceback.format_exc()
+        vim.command(
+            'let s:rez = ["Unknown error in matcher", "%s", "%s"]' %
+            (str(ex), tb))
+
+
+def _doCtrlPPyMatch():
+    try:
+        items = vim.eval('a:items')
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        _troubleshootUnicodeInputError()
+        return
+
     astr = vim.eval('a:str')
     lowAstr = astr.lower()
     limit = int(vim.eval('a:limit'))
     mmode = vim.eval('a:mmode')
     aregex = int(vim.eval('a:regex'))
-    spath = vim.eval('a:ispath')
+    ispath = vim.eval('a:ispath')
     crfile = vim.eval('a:crfile')
 
-    if not vim.eval('exists("g:ctrlp_match_current_file")') and ispath and crfile:
+    if (not vim.eval('exists("g:ctrlp_match_current_file")') and
+            ispath and crfile):
         items.remove(crfile)
 
     rez = vim.eval('s:rez')
-
+    sep = vim.eval('s:slashsep')
 
     regex = ''
     if aregex == 1:
@@ -30,11 +50,13 @@ def CtrlPPyMatch():
         # expression to each character (except the last).
         if len(lowAstr) > 1:
             mismatch = ["[^" + c + "]*" for c in escaped[:-1]]
-            regex = ''.join([c for pair in zip(escaped[:-1], mismatch) for c in pair])
+            regex = ''.join([c for pair in zip(escaped[:-1], mismatch)
+                             for c in pair])
 
         # Append the last character in the string to the regex
         regex += escaped[-1]
-    # because this IGNORECASE flag is extremely expensive we are converting everything to lower case
+    # because this IGNORECASE flag is extremely expensive we are converting
+    # everything to lower case
     # see https://github.com/FelikZ/ctrlp-py-matcher/issues/29
     regex = regex.lower()
 
@@ -43,7 +65,7 @@ def CtrlPPyMatch():
 
     def filename_score(line):
         # get filename via reverse find to improve performance
-        slashPos = line.rfind('/')
+        slashPos = line.rfind(sep)
 
         if slashPos != -1:
             line = line[slashPos + 1:]
@@ -52,8 +74,8 @@ def filename_score(line):
         result = prog.search(lineLower)
         if result:
             score = result.end() - result.start() + 1
-            score = score + ( len(lineLower) + 1 ) / 100.0
-            score = score + ( len(line) + 1 ) / 1000.0
+            score = score + (len(lineLower) + 1) / 100.0
+            score = score + (len(line) + 1) / 1000.0
             return 1000.0 / score
 
         return 0
@@ -63,7 +85,7 @@ def path_score(line):
         result = prog.search(lineLower)
         if result:
             score = result.end() - result.start() + 1
-            score = score + ( len(lineLower) + 1 ) / 100.0
+            score = score + (len(lineLower) + 1) / 100.0
             return 1000.0 / score
 
         return 0
@@ -80,11 +102,25 @@ def path_score(line):
     else:
         res = [(path_score(line), line) for line in items]
 
-    rez.extend([line for score, line in heapq.nlargest(limit, res) if score != 0])
+    rez.extend([line for score, line in heapq.nlargest(limit, res)
+                if score != 0])
 
     # Use double quoted vim strings and escape \
-    vimrez = ['"' + line.replace('\\', '\\\\').replace('"', '\\"') + '"' for line in rez]
+    vimrez = ['"' + line.replace('\\', '\\\\').replace('"', '\\"') + '"'
+              for line in rez]
 
     vim.command("let s:regex = '%s'" % regex)
     vim.command('let s:rez = [%s]' % ','.join(vimrez))
 
+
+def _troubleshootUnicodeInputError():
+    count = vim.eval('len(a:items)')
+    for i in range(int(count)):
+        try:
+            vim.eval('a:items[%d]' % i)
+        except:
+            vim.command(
+                'let s:rez = ["Unicode error at item %d: ".a:items[%d],'
+                '"Line contains invalid characters."]' %
+                (i, i))
+            break
diff --git a/autoload/pymatcher.vim b/autoload/pymatcher.vim
index fc5f0ec..8eb68c3 100644
--- a/autoload/pymatcher.vim
+++ b/autoload/pymatcher.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " Python Matcher
 
 if !has('python') && !has('python3')
-    echo 'In order to use pymatcher plugin, you need +python or +python3 compiled vim'
+  echo 'In order to use pymatcher plugin, you need +python or +python3 compiled vim'
 endif
 
 let s:plugin_path = escape(expand('<sfile>:p:h'), '\')
@@ -12,32 +12,42 @@ else
   execute 'pyfile ' . s:plugin_path . '/pymatcher.py'
 endif
 
-function! pymatcher#PyMatch(items, str, limit, mmode, ispath, crfile, regex)
+let s:slashsep = '/'
+if has('win32') || has('win64')
+  if !has('+shellslash') || !&shellslash
+    let s:slashsep = '\'
+  endif
+endif
 
-    call clearmatches()
+function! pymatcher#PyMatch(items, str, limit, mmode, ispath, crfile, regex)
+  call clearmatches()
 
-    if a:str == ''
-        let arr = a:items[0:a:limit]
-        if !exists('g:ctrlp_match_current_file') && a:ispath && !empty(a:crfile)
-            call remove(arr, index(arr, a:crfile))
-        endif
-        return arr
+  if a:str == ''
+    let arr = a:items[0:a:limit]
+    if !exists('g:ctrlp_match_current_file') && a:ispath && !empty(a:crfile)
+      call remove(arr, index(arr, a:crfile))
     endif
+    return arr
+  endif
 
-    let s:rez = []
-    let s:regex = ''
+  let s:rez = []
+  let s:regex = ''
 
+  try
     execute 'python' . (has('python3') ? '3' : '') . ' CtrlPPyMatch()'
+  catch
+    return ['Error running matcher', str(v:exception)]
+  endtry
 
-    let s:matchregex = '\v\c'
+  let s:matchregex = '\v\c'
 
-    if a:mmode == 'filename-only'
-        let s:matchregex .= '[\^\/]*'
-    endif
+  if a:mmode == 'filename-only'
+    let s:matchregex .= '[\^\/\\]*'
+  endif
 
-    let s:matchregex .= s:regex
+  let s:matchregex .= s:regex
 
-    call matchadd('CtrlPMatch', s:matchregex)
+  call matchadd('CtrlPMatch', s:matchregex)
 
-    return s:rez
+  return s:rez
 endfunction