diff --git a/src/blob.coffee b/src/blob.coffee
index 103143e..8447c11 100644
--- a/src/blob.coffee
+++ b/src/blob.coffee
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module.exports = class Blob
     @repo.git "cat-file", {p: true}, @id
     , (err, stdout, stderr) ->
       return callback err, stdout
+    , 'binary'
 
   # Public: Get the blob contents as a stream
   #
diff --git a/src/git.coffee b/src/git.coffee
index a8b545d..ccd2fda 100644
--- a/src/git.coffee
+++ b/src/git.coffee
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module.exports = Git = (git_dir, dot_git, git_options) ->
   git_options ||= {}
   dot_git ||= "#{git_dir}/.git"
 
-  git = (command, options, args, callback) ->
+  git = (command, options, args, callback, encoding) ->
     [callback, args]    = [args, callback] if !callback
     [callback, options] = [options, callback] if !callback
     options ?= {}
@@ -13,14 +13,15 @@ module.exports = Git = (git_dir, dot_git, git_options) ->
     options  = options.join " "
     args    ?= []
     args     = args.join " " if args instanceof Array
+    encoding ?= 'utf8'
     bash     = "#{git_options.bin || Git.bin} #{command} #{options} #{args}"
-    exec bash, {cwd: git_dir, encoding:'binary', maxBuffer: 5000 * 1024}, callback
+    exec bash, {cwd: git_dir, encoding: encoding, maxBuffer: 5000 * 1024}, callback
     return bash
 
   # Public: Passthrough for raw git commands
   #
-  git.cmd  = (command, options, args, callback) ->
-    git command, options, args, callback
+  git.cmd  = (command, options, args, callback, encoding) ->
+    git command, options, args, encoding, callback
 
   # Public: stream results of git command
   #
@@ -28,12 +29,13 @@ module.exports = Git = (git_dir, dot_git, git_options) ->
   #
   # returns [outstream, errstream]
   #
-  git.streamCmd = (command, options, args) ->
+  git.streamCmd = (command, options, args, encoding) ->
     options ?= {}
     options  = options_to_argv options
     args    ?= []
     allargs = [command].concat(options).concat(args)
-    process  = spawn Git.bin, allargs, {cwd: git_dir, encoding: 'binary'}
+    encoding ?= 'utf8'
+    process  = spawn Git.bin, allargs, {cwd: git_dir, encoding: encoding}
     return [process.stdout, process.stderr]
 
   # Public: Get a list of the remote names.
diff --git a/src/repo.coffee b/src/repo.coffee
index f8edce8..3c0e2be 100644
--- a/src/repo.coffee
+++ b/src/repo.coffee
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ module.exports = class Repo
         return callback err, Diff.parse_raw(this, stdout)
       else
         return callback err, Diff.parse(this, stdout)
+    , 'binary'
 
 
   # Public: Get the repository's remotes.
diff --git a/src/tree.coffee b/src/tree.coffee
index 3d67221..e99c2c5 100644
--- a/src/tree.coffee
+++ b/src/tree.coffee
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ module.exports = class Tree
       for line in stdout.split("\n")
         @_contents.push @content_from_string(line) if line
       return callback null, @_contents
+    , 'binary'
 
 
   # Public: Get the child blobs.