diff --git a/beat/backend/python/library.py b/beat/backend/python/library.py
index 3d062c94a4520214403dd07074feb6538de2d97b..b6f03daf7a905951b038730a6c0b9fd127f1d49c 100755
--- a/beat/backend/python/library.py
+++ b/beat/backend/python/library.py
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class Library(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