diff --git a/tensorflow/python/client/tf_session.i b/tensorflow/python/client/tf_session.i
index e46ba021dcf..284c98639d7 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/client/tf_session.i
+++ b/tensorflow/python/client/tf_session.i
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ tensorflow::ImportNumpy();
 // Constants used by TensorHandle (get_session_handle).
 %constant const char* TENSOR_HANDLE_KEY = tensorflow::SessionState::kTensorHandleResourceTypeName;
 
+// Convert TF_OperationName output to unicode python string
+%typemap(out) const char* TF_OperationName {
+  $result = PyUnicode_FromString($1);
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // BEGIN TYPEMAPS FOR tensorflow::TF_Run_wrapper()
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/framework/ops.py b/tensorflow/python/framework/ops.py
index 46417c23246..ccd1099f80c 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/framework/ops.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/framework/ops.py
@@ -1350,7 +1350,13 @@ class Operation(object):
   @property
   def name(self):
     """The full name of this operation."""
-    return self._node_def.name
+    if _USE_C_API:
+      # TODO(iga): Remove this assert after converting to C API by default.
+      # Just being a bit paranoid here.
+      assert self._node_def.name == c_api.TF_OperationName(self._c_op)
+      return c_api.TF_OperationName(self._c_op)
+    else:
+      return self._node_def.name
 
   @property
   def _id(self):