Index: pym/portage/dbapi/bintree.py
===================================================================
--- pym/portage/dbapi/bintree.py	(revision 13888)
+++ pym/portage/dbapi/bintree.py	(revision 13891)
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 from portage import dep_expand, listdir, _check_distfile, _movefile
 
+import codecs
 import os, errno, stat
 import re
 from itertools import chain, izip
@@ -429,18 +430,8 @@
 				dirs.remove("All")
 			dirs.sort()
 			dirs.insert(0, "All")
-			pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
+			pkgindex = self._load_pkgindex()
 			pf_index = None
-			try:
-				f = open(self._pkgindex_file)
-			except EnvironmentError:
-				pass
-			else:
-				try:
-					pkgindex.read(f)
-				finally:
-					f.close()
-					del f
 			if not self._pkgindex_version_supported(pkgindex):
 				pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
 			header = pkgindex.header
@@ -646,7 +637,8 @@
 				urldata[1] + urldata[2], "Packages")
 			pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
 			try:
-				f = open(pkgindex_file)
+				f = codecs.open(pkgindex_file,
+					encoding='utf_8', errors='replace')
 				try:
 					pkgindex.read(f)
 				finally:
@@ -845,17 +837,8 @@
 				self.getname(cpv).split(os.path.sep)[-2] == "All":
 				self._create_symlink(cpv)
 				created_symlink = True
-			pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
-			try:
-				f = open(self._pkgindex_file)
-			except EnvironmentError:
-				pass
-			else:
-				try:
-					pkgindex.read(f)
-				finally:
-					f.close()
-					del f
+			pkgindex = self._load_pkgindex()
+
 			if not self._pkgindex_version_supported(pkgindex):
 				pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
 
@@ -1096,7 +1079,8 @@
 	def _load_pkgindex(self):
 		pkgindex = self._new_pkgindex()
 		try:
-			f = open(self._pkgindex_file)
+			f = codecs.open(self._pkgindex_file, 
+				encoding='utf8', errors='replace')
 		except EnvironmentError:
 			pass
 		else:
Index: bin/emaint
===================================================================
--- bin/emaint	(revision 13888)
+++ bin/emaint	(revision 13891)
@@ -116,13 +116,8 @@
 		myroot = portage.settings["ROOT"]
 		self._bintree = portage.db[myroot]["bintree"]
 		self._bintree.populate()
-		self._pkgindex_file = os.path.join(self._bintree.pkgdir, "Packages")
-		self._pkgindex = self._bintree._new_pkgindex()
-		f = open(self._pkgindex_file, 'r')
-		try:
-			self._pkgindex.read(f)
-		finally:
-			f.close()
+		self._pkgindex_file = self._bintree._pkgindex_file
+		self._pkgindex = self._bintree._load_pkgindex()
 
 	def check(self, onProgress=None):
 		missing = []
@@ -178,13 +173,8 @@
 				cpv_all = self._bintree.dbapi.cpv_all()
 				cpv_all.sort()
 
-				pkgindex = bintree._new_pkgindex()
+				pkgindex = bintree._load_pkgindex()
 				self._pkgindex = pkgindex
-				f = open(self._pkgindex_file, 'r')
-				try:
-					self._pkgindex.read(f)
-				finally:
-					f.close()
 
 				metadata = {}
 				for d in pkgindex.packages: