diff --git a/django/http/cookie.py b/django/http/cookie.py
index 78adb09ce8..50ff549caf 100644
--- a/django/http/cookie.py
+++ b/django/http/cookie.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
 
 from django.utils.encoding import force_str
+from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.six.moves import http_cookies
 
 
@@ -48,7 +49,9 @@ else:
         if not _cookie_allows_colon_in_names:
             def load(self, rawdata):
                 self.bad_cookies = set()
-                super(SimpleCookie, self).load(force_str(rawdata))
+                if not six.PY3 and isinstance(rawdata, six.text_type):
+                    rawdata = force_str(rawdata)
+                super(SimpleCookie, self).load(rawdata)
                 for key in self.bad_cookies:
                     del self[key]
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/httpwrappers/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/httpwrappers/tests.py
index 67172d963c..c76d8eafe3 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/httpwrappers/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/httpwrappers/tests.py
@@ -588,3 +588,7 @@ class CookieTests(unittest.TestCase):
         c['name']['httponly'] = True
         self.assertTrue(c['name']['httponly'])
 
+    def test_load_dict(self):
+        c = SimpleCookie()
+        c.load({'name': 'val'})
+        self.assertEqual(c['name'].value, 'val')