diff --git a/beat/backend/python/database.py b/beat/backend/python/database.py
index 8da3592a6e561261c1a8d99c324786b83788ce6a..bafa5a54df4359929f08ff3adbcf5aae64b2412e 100755
--- a/beat/backend/python/database.py
+++ b/beat/backend/python/database.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             return
 
         with open(filename, 'rb') as f:
-            objs = simplejson.load(f)
+            objs = simplejson.loads(f.read().decode('utf-8'))
 
         Entry = namedtuple('Entry', sorted(objs[0].keys()))
         objs = [ Entry(**x) for x in objs ]
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ class Database(object):
             return
 
         with open(json_path, 'rb') as f:
-            self.data = simplejson.load(f)
+            self.data = simplejson.loads(f.read().decode('utf-8'))
 
         self.code_path = self.storage.code.path
         self.code = self.storage.code.load()