diff --git a/db-server/index.js b/db-server/index.js
index ef709b7..2a235f8 100644
--- a/db-server/index.js
+++ b/db-server/index.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ function createServer(db) {
   api.post('/account/:id/emails', withIdAndBody(db.createEmail))
   api.del('/account/:id/emails/:email',
     op(function (req) {
-      return db.deleteEmail(req.params.id, req.params.email)
+      return db.deleteEmail(req.params.id, Buffer(req.params.email, 'hex').toString('utf8'))
     })
   )
 
diff --git a/db-server/test/backend/remote.js b/db-server/test/backend/remote.js
index 25e57f1..145d1c4 100644
--- a/db-server/test/backend/remote.js
+++ b/db-server/test/backend/remote.js
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ module.exports = function(cfg, makeServer) {
             assert.equal(!! result[2].isPrimary, false, 'isPrimary is false on thirdEmailRecord email')
             assert.equal(!! result[2].isVerified, false, 'matches secondEmail thirdEmailRecord')
 
-            return client.delThen('/account/' + user.accountId + '/emails/' + secondEmailRecord.email)
+            return client.delThen('/account/' + user.accountId + '/emails/' + emailToHex(secondEmailRecord.email))
           })
           .then(function (r) {
             respOkEmpty(r)