diff --git a/beat/backend/python/dataformat.py b/beat/backend/python/dataformat.py
index d4d9ae83546e599b0c14b56b60ab07e114754cb0..2897760c60d8d4848dbcbc531c4d0f69ae3a3343 100755
--- a/beat/backend/python/dataformat.py
+++ b/beat/backend/python/dataformat.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class DataFormat(object):
                 return
 
             with open(json_path, 'rb') as f:
-                self.data = simplejson.load(f)
+                self.data = simplejson.loads(f.read().decode('utf-8'))
 
         dataformat_cache[self._name] = self #registers itself into the cache