diff -up nose-1.3.7/nose/plugins/doctests.py.readunicode nose-1.3.7/nose/plugins/doctests.py

--- nose-1.3.7/nose/plugins/doctests.py.readunicode	2015-04-04 02:52:52.000000000 -0600

+++ nose-1.3.7/nose/plugins/doctests.py	2016-11-15 14:24:54.298239018 -0700

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ test.

 """

 from __future__ import generators

+import codecs

 import logging

 import os

 import sys

@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ class Doctest(Plugin):

         """

         if self.extension and anyp(filename.endswith, self.extension):

             name = os.path.basename(filename)

-            dh = open(filename)

+            dh = codecs.open(filename, encoding='utf-8')

             try:

                 doc = dh.read()

             finally: