diff --git a/capa/helpers.py b/capa/helpers.py
index f7978b54..796a00ce 100644
--- a/capa/helpers.py
+++ b/capa/helpers.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def assert_never(value) -> NoReturn:
 
 
 def get_format_from_report(sample: Path) -> str:
-    report = json.load(sample.open())
+    report = json.load(sample.open(encoding="utf-8"))
     if "CAPE" in report:
         return FORMAT_CAPE
     return FORMAT_UNKNOWN
diff --git a/capa/main.py b/capa/main.py
index cb0d5459..50dc0f88 100644
--- a/capa/main.py
+++ b/capa/main.py
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ def get_extractor(
     if format_ == FORMAT_CAPE:
         import capa.features.extractors.cape.extractor
 
-        report = json.load(Path(path).open())
+        report = json.load(Path(path).open(encoding="utf-8"))
         return capa.features.extractors.cape.extractor.CapeExtractor.from_report(report)
 
     elif format_ == FORMAT_DOTNET:
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ def get_file_extractors(sample: Path, format_: str) -> List[FeatureExtractor]:
         file_extractors.append(capa.features.extractors.elffile.ElfFeatureExtractor(sample))
 
     elif format_ == FORMAT_CAPE:
-        report = json.load(Path(sample).open())
+        report = json.load(Path(sample).open(encoding="utf-8"))
         file_extractors.append(capa.features.extractors.cape.extractor.CapeExtractor.from_report(report))
 
     return file_extractors