diff --git a/Lib/email/header.py b/Lib/email/header.py
index 4ab0032bc66123..f186d193577908 100644
--- a/Lib/email/header.py
+++ b/Lib/email/header.py
@@ -136,7 +136,14 @@ def decode_header(header):
     last_word = last_charset = None
     for word, charset in decoded_words:
         if isinstance(word, str):
-            word = bytes(word, 'raw-unicode-escape')
+            word_tmp = bytes(word, 'raw-unicode-escape')
+            input_charset = charset or 'us-ascii'
+            try:
+                # Test to avoid UnicodeDecodeError in Header.append()
+                _ = word_tmp.decode(input_charset, errors='strict')
+                word = word_tmp
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                word, charset = word.encode('utf-8'), 'utf-8'
         if last_word is None:
             last_word = word
             last_charset = charset
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test_email.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test_email.py
index c29cc56203b1f7..b711887c3615a6 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test_email.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test_email.py
@@ -2396,6 +2396,14 @@ def test_multiline_header(self):
         self.assertEqual(str(make_header(decode_header(s))),
                          '"Müller T" <T.Mueller@xxx.com>')
 
+    def test_unicode_decode_error(self):
+        s = 'Hostel,=?UTF-8?B?UGFuYW3DoSBDaXR5?=, Panamá'
+        self.assertEqual(decode_header(s),
+            [(b'Hostel,', None),
+             (b'Panam\xc3\xa1 City, Panam\xc3\xa1', 'utf-8')])
+        self.assertEqual(str(make_header(decode_header(s))),
+                         'Hostel, Panamá City, Panamá')
+
 
 # Test the MIMEMessage class
 class TestMIMEMessage(TestEmailBase):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-07-11-02-50-17.bpo-37532.efSn_v.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-07-11-02-50-17.bpo-37532.efSn_v.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..3da640ef513d78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-07-11-02-50-17.bpo-37532.efSn_v.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Avoid UnicodeDecodeError in email.header.make_header(). Patch by Aldwin Pollefeyt.
\ No newline at end of file