diff --git a/pygeoapi/api/processes.py b/pygeoapi/api/processes.py
index 3195530ad..b51ff8531 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/api/processes.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/api/processes.py
@@ -535,6 +535,7 @@ def execute_process(api: API, request: APIRequest,
             'type': 'process',
             'status': status.value
         }
+        response2 = to_json(response2, pretty_print_)
 
     if api.pubsub_client is not None:
         LOGGER.debug('Publishing message')
diff --git a/pygeoapi/process/base.py b/pygeoapi/process/base.py
index 87c05a3cd..9e2136476 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/process/base.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/process/base.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def execute(self, data: dict, outputs: Optional[dict] = None
                         The value of any key may be an object and include the
                         property `transmissionMode` - defaults to `value`.
         :returns: tuple of MIME type and process response
-                  (string or bytes, or dict)
+                  (string, bytes, list or dict)
         """
 
         raise NotImplementedError()
diff --git a/pygeoapi/process/manager/base.py b/pygeoapi/process/manager/base.py
index 159e753f2..fadb90fbd 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/process/manager/base.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/process/manager/base.py
@@ -277,6 +277,9 @@ def _execute_handler_sync(self, p: BaseProcessor, job_id: str,
             current_status = JobStatus.running
             jfmt, outputs = p.execute(data_dict, **extra_execute_parameters)
 
+            if isinstance(outputs, bytes):
+                outputs = outputs.decode('utf-8')
+
             if requested_response == RequestedResponse.document.value:
                 outputs = {
                     'outputs': [outputs]
@@ -299,6 +302,10 @@ def _execute_handler_sync(self, p: BaseProcessor, job_id: str,
                     mode = 'wb'
                     data = outputs
                     encoding = None
+                elif isinstance(outputs, str):
+                    mode = 'w'
+                    data = outputs
+                    encoding = None
                 with job_filename.open(mode=mode, encoding=encoding) as fh:
                     fh.write(data)
 
diff --git a/tests/api/test_processes.py b/tests/api/test_processes.py
index 3a654b121..a4bd3794f 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_processes.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_processes.py
@@ -331,8 +331,10 @@ def test_execute_process(config, api_):
     req = mock_api_request(data=req_body_1, HTTP_Prefer='respond-async')
     rsp_headers, code, response = execute_process(api_, req, 'hello-world')
 
-    assert 'Location' in rsp_headers
+    response = json.loads(response)
     assert code == HTTPStatus.CREATED
+
+    assert 'Location' in rsp_headers
     assert isinstance(response, dict)
     assert 'jobID' in response
     assert 'type' in response