diff --git a/pokedex/db/load.py b/pokedex/db/load.py
index 6e43429..f34ee46 100644
--- a/pokedex/db/load.py
+++ b/pokedex/db/load.py
@@ -210,7 +210,10 @@ def load(session, tables=[], directory=None, drop_tables=False, verbose=False, s
 
         try:
             csvpath = "%s/%s.csv" % (directory, table_name)
-            csvfile = open(csvpath, 'r')
+            if six.PY2:
+                csvfile = open(csvpath, 'r')
+            else:
+                csvfile = open(csvpath, 'r', encoding="utf8")
         except IOError:
             # File doesn't exist; don't load anything!
             print_done('missing?')
@@ -416,7 +419,7 @@ def dump(session, tables=[], directory=None, verbose=False, langs=None):
 
         # CSV module only works with bytes on 2 and only works with text on 3!
         if six.PY3:
-            writer = csv.writer(open(filename, 'w', newline=''), lineterminator='\n')
+            writer = csv.writer(open(filename, 'w', newline='', encoding="utf8"), lineterminator='\n')
             columns = [col.name for col in table.columns]
         else:
             writer = csv.writer(open(filename, 'wb'), lineterminator='\n')
diff --git a/pokedex/db/translations.py b/pokedex/db/translations.py
index 606a66d..8f55473 100755
--- a/pokedex/db/translations.py
+++ b/pokedex/db/translations.py
@@ -262,11 +262,15 @@ class Translations(object):
     def reader_for_class(self, cls, reader_class=csv.reader):
         tablename = cls.__table__.name
         csvpath = os.path.join(self.csv_directory, tablename + '.csv')
-        return reader_class(open(csvpath, 'r'), lineterminator='\n')
+        if six.PY2:
+            read = open(csvpath, 'r')
+        else:
+            read = open(csvpath, 'r', encoding='utf-8')
+        return reader_class(read, lineterminator='\n')
 
     def writer_for_lang(self, lang):
         csvpath = os.path.join(self.translation_directory, '%s.csv' % lang)
-        return csv.writer(io.open(csvpath, 'w', newline=''), lineterminator='\n')
+        return csv.writer(io.open(csvpath, 'w', newline='', encoding="utf8"), lineterminator='\n')
 
     def yield_source_messages(self, language_id=None):
         """Yield all messages from source CSV files
@@ -307,7 +311,10 @@ class Translations(object):
         """
         path = os.path.join(self.csv_directory, 'translations', '%s.csv' % lang)
         try:
-            file = open(path, 'r')
+            if six.PY2:
+                file = open(path, 'r')
+            else:
+                file = open(path, 'r', encoding="utf8")
         except IOError:
             return ()
         return yield_translation_csv_messages(file)