--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/generator.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/generator.py
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
+
+import codecs
 import logging
 import os
 import yaml
 
 from .graph import Graph
 from .taskgraph import TaskGraph
 from .optimize import optimize_task_graph
 from .util.python_path import find_object
@@ -136,17 +138,17 @@ class TaskGraphGenerator(object):
         for path in os.listdir(self.root_dir):
             path = os.path.join(self.root_dir, path)
             if not os.path.isdir(path):
                 continue
             kind_name = os.path.basename(path)
             logger.debug("loading kind `{}` from `{}`".format(kind_name, path))
 
             kind_yml = os.path.join(path, 'kind.yml')
-            with open(kind_yml) as f:
+            with codecs.open(kind_yml, 'rb', 'utf-8') as f:
                 config = yaml.load(f)
 
             yield Kind(kind_name, path, config)
 
     def _run(self):
         logger.info("Loading kinds")
         # put the kinds into a graph and sort topologically so that kinds are loaded
         # in post-order

--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/parameters.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/parameters.py
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
+import codecs
 import json
 import yaml
 from mozbuild.util import ReadOnlyDict
 
 
 class Parameters(ReadOnlyDict):
     """An immutable dictionary with nicer KeyError messages on failure"""
     def __getitem__(self, k):
@@ -22,15 +23,15 @@ class Parameters(ReadOnlyDict):
 
 def load_parameters_file(options):
     """
     Load parameters from the --parameters option
     """
     filename = options['parameters']
     if not filename:
         return Parameters()
-    with open(filename) as f:
+    with codecs.open(filename, 'rb', 'utf-8') as f:
         if filename.endswith('.yml'):
             return Parameters(**yaml.safe_load(f))
         elif filename.endswith('.json'):
             return Parameters(**json.load(f))
         else:
             raise TypeError("Parameters file `{}` is not JSON or YAML".format(filename))

--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/task/test.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/task/test.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
+import codecs
 import copy
 import logging
 import os
 import yaml
 
 from . import base
 from taskgraph.util.python_path import find_object
 from taskgraph.transforms.base import TransformSequence, TransformConfig
@@ -156,10 +157,10 @@ class TestTask(base.Task):
 
     def optimize(self):
         return False, None
 
 
 def load_yaml(path, name):
     """Convenience method to load a YAML file in the kind directory"""
     filename = os.path.join(path, name)
-    with open(filename, "rb") as f:
+    with codecs.open(filename, 'rb', 'utf-8') as f:
         return yaml.load(f)

--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/task/transform.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/task/transform.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
+import codecs
 import logging
 import os
 import yaml
 
 from . import base
 from ..util.python_path import find_object
 from ..transforms.base import TransformSequence, TransformConfig
 
@@ -72,10 +73,10 @@ class TransformTask(base.Task):
 
     def optimize(self):
         return False, None
 
 
 def load_yaml(path, name):
     """Convenience method to load a YAML file in the kind directory"""
     filename = os.path.join(path, name)
-    with open(filename, "rb") as f:
+    with codecs.open(filename, 'rb', 'utf-8') as f:
         return yaml.load(f)

--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/util/templates.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/util/templates.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+import codecs
 import os
 
 import pystache
 import yaml
 
 # Key used in template inheritance...
 INHERITS_KEY = '$inherits'
 
@@ -123,10 +124,16 @@ class Templates():
         if not path:
             raise TemplatesException('path is required')
 
         path = self.resolve_path(path)
 
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
             raise TemplatesException('"{}" is not a file'.format(path))
 
-        content = open(path).read()
+        # pystache.render() converts str to unicode. So just feed it a
+        # unicode so it doesn't have to guess the encoding. By verifying
+        # the file is UTF-8 at read time, we also make tracebacks easier
+        # to debug since it is obvious the failure is due to the file content
+        # and not a Python str/unicode issue.
+        with codecs.open(path, 'rb', 'utf-8') as fh:
+            content = fh.read()
         return self.render(path, content, parameters, seen)