diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f906df64965..9e45558d9b7 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
 PACKAGE_NAME = 'homeassistant'
 HERE = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-with open(os.path.join(HERE, PACKAGE_NAME, 'const.py')) as fp:
-    VERSION = re.search("__version__ = ['\"]([^']+)['\"]\n", fp.read()).group(1)
+with open(os.path.join(HERE, PACKAGE_NAME, 'const.py'),
+          encoding='utf-8') as fp:
+    VERSION = re.search(
+        "__version__ = ['\"]([^']+)['\"]\n", fp.read()).group(1)
 DOWNLOAD_URL = \
     'https://github.com/balloob/home-assistant/archive/{}.zip'.format(VERSION)