diff --git a/kwant/version.py b/kwant/version.py
index 70e6b4d8185f7c31861baa809956a81af6dc1bfc..c7da0e294a86a7c242be1681b01bca6a20f705cd 100644
--- a/kwant/version.py
+++ b/kwant/version.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def get_version_from_git():
 def init(version_file='_kwant_version.py'):
     global version, version_is_from_git
     version_info = {}
-    with open(os.path.join(package_root, version_file), 'r') as f:
+    with open(os.path.join(package_root, version_file), 'rb') as f:
         exec(f.read(), {}, version_info)
     version = version_info['version']
     version_is_from_git = (version == "__use_git__")
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 964d523e4b5faa09c0caca957eac07a6f16e5de7..5888879be93179e814e0a8e73d696b5f6f97b79a 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ def write_version(fname):
 def long_description():
     text = []
     try:
-        with open('README.rst') as f:
+        with open('README.rst', encoding='utf8') as f:
             for line in f:
                 if line.startswith('See also in this directory:'):
                     break