diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 7f8e60f..da3855b 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ cover-erase = 1
 cover-package = sprockets.mixins.avro_publisher
 with-coverage = 1
 verbosity = 2
-cover-html = 1
-cover-html-dir = build/coverage
 
 [upload_docs]
 upload-dir = build/sphinx/html
diff --git a/sprockets/mixins/avro_publisher/__init__.py b/sprockets/mixins/avro_publisher/__init__.py
index ec119d6..8fdbedb 100644
--- a/sprockets/mixins/avro_publisher/__init__.py
+++ b/sprockets/mixins/avro_publisher/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Take note also of the required configurations in sprockets.mixins.amqp
 
 """
 import io
+import json
 import logging
 
 from sprockets.mixins import amqp, http
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ class PublishingMixin(amqp.PublishingMixin, http.HTTPClientMixin):
         """
         response = yield self.http_fetch(self._schema_url(message_type))
         if response.ok:
-            raise gen.Return(response.body)
+            raise gen.Return(json.loads(response.raw.body.decode('utf-8')))
         raise SchemaFetchError()
 
     def _schema_url(self, message_type):
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index cafd9e6..7f65546 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class Test1RequestHandler(avro_publisher.PublishingMixin, web.RequestHandler):
                 'message_id': str(uuid.uuid4()),
                 'type': MESSAGE_TYPE}}
 
+
 class Test2RequestHandler(Test1RequestHandler):
 
     def initialize(self):