diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 36c0b885a..f6e7900c4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 *.pyc
 *.DS_Store
 *~
-django_debug_toolbar.egg-info
\ No newline at end of file
+django_debug_toolbar.egg-info
+.idea/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/debug_toolbar/panels/sql.py b/debug_toolbar/panels/sql.py
index e1e9bdf9c..0689dda67 100644
--- a/debug_toolbar/panels/sql.py
+++ b/debug_toolbar/panels/sql.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 from django.template import Node
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
 from django.utils import simplejson
-from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode
+from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode, DjangoUnicodeDecodeError
 from django.utils.hashcompat import sha_constructor
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
@@ -85,6 +85,22 @@ class DatabaseStatTracker(util.CursorDebugWrapper):
     Replacement for CursorDebugWrapper which stores additional information
     in `connection.queries`.
     """
+    def clean_params(self, params):
+        clean_params = ()
+
+        for x in params:
+            try:
+                clean_params += (force_unicode(x, strings_only=True), )
+            except DjangoUnicodeDecodeError:
+                clean_params += ("<non unicode object>", )
+        return clean_params
+
+    def get_params_json(self, clean_params):
+        try:
+            return simplejson.dumps(clean_params)
+        except TypeError:
+            return '' # object not JSON serializable
+
     def execute(self, sql, params=()):
         start = datetime.now()
         try:
@@ -93,12 +109,8 @@ def execute(self, sql, params=()):
             stop = datetime.now()
             duration = ms_from_timedelta(stop - start)
             stacktrace = tidy_stacktrace(traceback.extract_stack())
-            _params = ''
-            try:
-                _params = simplejson.dumps([force_unicode(x, strings_only=True) for x in params])
-            except TypeError:
-                pass # object not JSON serializable
-
+            params = self.clean_params(params)
+            _params = self.get_params_json(params)
             template_info = None
             cur_frame = sys._getframe().f_back
             try:
diff --git a/debug_toolbar/tests/__init__.py b/debug_toolbar/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f70abd883
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug_toolbar/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from debug_toolbar.tests.test_sql_panel import *
diff --git a/debug_toolbar/tests/test_sql_panel.py b/debug_toolbar/tests/test_sql_panel.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fbb2fc885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug_toolbar/tests/test_sql_panel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+from mock import patch, Mock
+
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.utils.encoding import DjangoUnicodeDecodeError
+
+from debug_toolbar.panels.sql import DatabaseStatTracker
+
+class DatabaseStatTrackerTests(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tracker = DatabaseStatTracker(Mock(), Mock())
+        self.tracker.db.queries = []
+
+    @patch('debug_toolbar.panels.sql.force_unicode')
+    def test_execute_gracefully_handles_nonunicode_params(self, force_unicode):
+        force_unicode.side_effect = DjangoUnicodeDecodeError("", "", "", 1, 1, "")
+        self.tracker.execute('some sql', ('param1', ))
+        self.assertEqual('["<non unicode object>"]', self.tracker.db.queries[0]['params'])
+
+    @patch('debug_toolbar.panels.sql.simplejson.dumps')
+    def test_execute_gracefully_handles_non_json_serializable_objects(self, dumps):
+        dumps.side_effect = TypeError('not jsonable')
+        self.tracker.execute('some sql', ('param1', ))
+        self.assertEqual('', self.tracker.db.queries[0]['params'])
\ No newline at end of file