diff --git a/gssapi/mechs.py b/gssapi/mechs.py
index 4944572a..21dd1593 100644
--- a/gssapi/mechs.py
+++ b/gssapi/mechs.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def __unicode__(self):
 
     def _bytes_desc(self):
         base = self.dotted_form
-        if rfc5801 is not None:
+        if rfc5801 is not None and self._saslname and self._saslname.mech_name:
             base = self._saslname.mech_name
 
         if isinstance(base, six.text_type):
diff --git a/gssapi/tests/test_high_level.py b/gssapi/tests/test_high_level.py
index fa9e95fb..6dd6cf3f 100644
--- a/gssapi/tests/test_high_level.py
+++ b/gssapi/tests/test_high_level.py
@@ -380,18 +380,18 @@ def test_indicate_mechs(self):
     @ktu.gssapi_extension_test('rfc5801', 'RFC 5801: SASL Names')
     def test_sasl_properties(self):
         mechs = gssmechs.Mechanism.all_mechs()
-        encoding = gssutils._get_encoding()
         for mech in mechs:
             s = str(mech)
             s.shouldnt_be_empty()
             s.should_be_a(str)
-            s.should_be(mech._saslname.mech_name.decode(encoding))
 
-            mech.sasl_name.shouldnt_be_empty()
-            mech.sasl_name.should_be_a(six.text_type)
+            # Note that some mechanisms don't have SASL names or SASL
+            # descriptions; in this case, GSSAPI returns empty strings.
+            if mech.sasl_name:
+                mech.sasl_name.should_be_a(six.text_type)
 
-            mech.description.shouldnt_be_empty()
-            mech.description.should_be_a(six.text_type)
+            if mech.description:
+                mech.description.should_be_a(six.text_type)
 
             cmp_mech = gssmechs.Mechanism.from_sasl_name(mech.sasl_name)
             str(cmp_mech).should_be(str(mech))
diff --git a/gssapi/tests/test_raw.py b/gssapi/tests/test_raw.py
index c24e48c8..7341836a 100644
--- a/gssapi/tests/test_raw.py
+++ b/gssapi/tests/test_raw.py
@@ -656,17 +656,17 @@ def test_rfc5587(self):
         mechs.should_be_a(set)
         mechs.shouldnt_be_empty()
 
-        # We need last_attr to be an attribute on last_mech.
-        # Since mechs is of type set and thus not indexable, these
-        # are used to track the last visited mech for testing
-        # purposes, and saves a call to inquire_attrs_for_mech().
-        last_attr = None
-        last_mech = None
+        # We're validating RFC 5587 here: by iterating over all mechanisms,
+        # we can query their attributes and build a mapping of attr->{mechs}.
+        # To test indicate_mechs_by_attrs, we can use this mapping and
+        # ensure that, when the attribute is placed in a slot, we get the
+        # expected result (e.g., attr in have --> mechs are present).
+        attrs_dict = {}
+        known_attrs_dict = {}
 
         for mech in mechs:
             mech.shouldnt_be_none()
             mech.should_be_a(gb.OID)
-            last_mech = mech
 
             inquire_out = gb.inquire_attrs_for_mech(mech)
             mech_attrs = inquire_out.mech_attrs
@@ -691,7 +691,9 @@ def test_rfc5587(self):
                 display_out.short_desc.should_be_a(bytes)
                 display_out.long_desc.should_be_a(bytes)
 
-                last_attr = mech_attr
+                if mech_attr not in attrs_dict:
+                    attrs_dict[mech_attr] = set()
+                attrs_dict[mech_attr].add(mech)
 
             for mech_attr in known_mech_attrs:
                 mech_attr.shouldnt_be_none()
@@ -705,18 +707,27 @@ def test_rfc5587(self):
                 display_out.short_desc.should_be_a(bytes)
                 display_out.long_desc.should_be_a(bytes)
 
-        attrs = set([last_attr])
+                if mech_attr not in known_attrs_dict:
+                    known_attrs_dict[mech_attr] = set()
+                known_attrs_dict[mech_attr].add(mech)
 
-        mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(attrs, None, None)
-        mechs.shouldnt_be_empty()
-        mechs.should_include(last_mech)
+        for attr, expected_mechs in attrs_dict.items():
+            attrs = set([attr])
 
-        mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(None, attrs, None)
-        mechs.shouldnt_include(last_mech)
+            mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(attrs, None, None)
+            mechs.shouldnt_be_empty()
+            mechs.should_be(expected_mechs)
 
-        mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(None, None, attrs)
-        mechs.shouldnt_be_empty()
-        mechs.should_include(last_mech)
+            mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(None, attrs, None)
+            for expected_mech in expected_mechs:
+                mechs.shouldnt_include(expected_mech)
+
+        for attr, expected_mechs in known_attrs_dict.items():
+            attrs = set([attr])
+
+            mechs = gb.indicate_mechs_by_attrs(None, None, attrs)
+            mechs.shouldnt_be_empty()
+            mechs.should_be(expected_mechs)
 
     @ktu.gssapi_extension_test('rfc5587', 'RFC 5587')
     def test_display_mech_attr(self):