diff --git a/0001-Always-import-XDG-desktop-files-as-utf8.patch b/0001-Always-import-XDG-desktop-files-as-utf8.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1af903
--- /dev/null
+++ b/0001-Always-import-XDG-desktop-files-as-utf8.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+From e090267a175d2f2d52128c780108835f36d1ef1e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Dirk Mueller <dirk@dmllr.de>
+Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2018 15:23:39 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH] Always import XDG desktop files as utf8
+
+Don't rely on them being entirely ASCII or the system
+locale.
+---
+ MenuXDGCheck.py | 3 ++-
+ 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/MenuXDGCheck.py b/MenuXDGCheck.py
+index 66912ea..d4418a9 100644
+--- a/MenuXDGCheck.py
++++ b/MenuXDGCheck.py
+@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
+ # http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html
+ #
+ 
++import codecs
+ import os
+ try:
+     import ConfigParser as cfgparser
+@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ class MenuXDGCheck(AbstractCheck.AbstractFilesCheck):
+     def parse_desktop_file(self, pkg, root, f, filename):
+         cfp = cfgparser.RawConfigParser()
+         try:
+-            with open(f, 'rb') as inputf:
++            with codecs.open(f, encoding='utf-8') as inputf:
+                 cfp.readfp(inputf, filename)
+         except cfgparser.DuplicateSectionError as e:
+             printError(
+-- 
+2.16.1
+
diff --git a/0001-Improve-XDG-Menu-checks-stability.patch b/0001-Improve-XDG-Menu-checks-stability.patch
index 1549b01..0067d52 100644
--- a/0001-Improve-XDG-Menu-checks-stability.patch
+++ b/0001-Improve-XDG-Menu-checks-stability.patch
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Index: rpmlint-rpmlint-1.10/MenuXDGCheck.py
 +    def parse_desktop_file(self, pkg, root, f, filename):
 +        cfp = cfgparser.RawConfigParser()
 +        try:
-+            with open(f, 'r') as inputf:
++            with open(f, 'rb') as inputf:
 +                cfp.readfp(inputf, filename)
 +        except cfgparser.DuplicateSectionError as e:
 +            printError(
diff --git a/rpmlint.changes b/rpmlint.changes
index 659c40a..ad51382 100644
--- a/rpmlint.changes
+++ b/rpmlint.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Sun Feb 18 14:26:09 UTC 2018 - dmueller@suse.com
+
+- add 0001-Always-import-XDG-desktop-files-as-utf8.patch
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Thu Feb 15 09:35:51 UTC 2018 - coolo@suse.com
 
diff --git a/rpmlint.spec b/rpmlint.spec
index 859b9a2..78add9e 100644
--- a/rpmlint.spec
+++ b/rpmlint.spec
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ Patch70:        rpmlint-all-pie.patch
 Patch71:        0001-Avoid-calling-close-on-undefined-fd-variable.patch
 Patch72:        rpmlint-slpp-NUM-NUM.patch
 Patch73:        0001-Binariescheck-Check-for-chroot-chdir-on-ARM-PPC.patch
+Patch74:        0001-Always-import-XDG-desktop-files-as-utf8.patch
 BuildRequires:  obs-service-format_spec_file
 BuildRequires:  python3-flake8
 BuildRequires:  python3-pytest