diff --git a/lib/propshaft/asset.rb b/lib/propshaft/asset.rb
index 759523f..4de31a5 100644
--- a/lib/propshaft/asset.rb
+++ b/lib/propshaft/asset.rb
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ def initialize(path, logical_path:, version: nil)
     @path, @logical_path, @version = path, Pathname.new(logical_path), version
   end
 
-  def content
-    File.binread(path)
+  def content(encoding: "ASCII-8BIT")
+    File.read(path, encoding: encoding)
   end
 
   def content_type
diff --git a/lib/propshaft/resolver/dynamic.rb b/lib/propshaft/resolver/dynamic.rb
index af5ce63..df82534 100644
--- a/lib/propshaft/resolver/dynamic.rb
+++ b/lib/propshaft/resolver/dynamic.rb
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ def resolve(logical_path)
       end
     end
 
-    def read(logical_path)
+    def read(logical_path, options = {})
       if asset = load_path.find(logical_path)
-        asset.content
+        asset.content(**options)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/propshaft/resolver/static.rb b/lib/propshaft/resolver/static.rb
index 896edc9..e46d755 100644
--- a/lib/propshaft/resolver/static.rb
+++ b/lib/propshaft/resolver/static.rb
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ def resolve(logical_path)
       end
     end
 
-    def read(logical_path)
+    def read(logical_path, encoding: "ASCII-8BIT")
       if asset_path = parsed_manifest[logical_path]
-        manifest_path.dirname.join(asset_path).read
+        File.read(manifest_path.dirname.join(asset_path), encoding: encoding)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/propshaft/asset_test.rb b/test/propshaft/asset_test.rb
index 6d27ec1..afc2f7a 100644
--- a/test/propshaft/asset_test.rb
+++ b/test/propshaft/asset_test.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,15 @@
 
 class Propshaft::AssetTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   test "content" do
+    assert_equal "ASCII-8BIT", find_asset("one.txt").content.encoding.to_s
     assert_equal "One from first path", find_asset("one.txt").content
   end
 
+  test "content with encoding" do
+    assert_equal "UTF-8", find_asset("one.txt").content(encoding: "UTF-8").encoding.to_s
+    assert_equal "One from first path", find_asset("one.txt").content(encoding: "UTF-8")
+  end
+
   test "content type" do
     assert_equal "text/plain", find_asset("one.txt").content_type.to_s
     assert_equal "text/javascript", find_asset("again.js").content_type.to_s
diff --git a/test/propshaft/resolver/dynamic_test.rb b/test/propshaft/resolver/dynamic_test.rb
index 7cb60f1..1881f6c 100644
--- a/test/propshaft/resolver/dynamic_test.rb
+++ b/test/propshaft/resolver/dynamic_test.rb
@@ -13,9 +13,15 @@ class Propshaft::Resolver::DynamicTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   end
 
   test "reading static asset" do
+    assert_equal "ASCII-8BIT", @resolver.read("one.txt").encoding.to_s
     assert_equal "One from first path", @resolver.read("one.txt")
   end
 
+  test "reading static asset with encoding option" do
+    assert_equal "UTF-8", @resolver.read("one.txt", encoding: "UTF-8").encoding.to_s
+    assert_equal "One from first path", @resolver.read("one.txt", encoding: "UTF-8")
+  end
+
   test "resolving missing asset returns nil" do
     assert_nil @resolver.resolve("nowhere.txt")
   end
diff --git a/test/propshaft/resolver/static_test.rb b/test/propshaft/resolver/static_test.rb
index 34e4a06..b643379 100644
--- a/test/propshaft/resolver/static_test.rb
+++ b/test/propshaft/resolver/static_test.rb
@@ -17,9 +17,15 @@ class Propshaft::Resolver::StaticTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   end
 
   test "reading static asset" do
+    assert_equal "ASCII-8BIT", @resolver.read("one.txt").encoding.to_s
     assert_equal "One from first path", @resolver.read("one.txt")
   end
 
+  test "reading static asset with encoding option" do
+    assert_equal "UTF-8", @resolver.read("one.txt", encoding: "UTF-8").encoding.to_s
+    assert_equal "One from first path", @resolver.read("one.txt", encoding: "UTF-8")
+  end
+
   test "resolving missing asset returns nil" do
     assert_nil @resolver.resolve("nowhere.txt")
   end