diff --git a/syncplay/ui/ConfigurationGetter.py b/syncplay/ui/ConfigurationGetter.py
index 681635f..2ab01ff 100644
--- a/syncplay/ui/ConfigurationGetter.py
+++ b/syncplay/ui/ConfigurationGetter.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import sys
 from syncplay import constants, utils
 from syncplay.messages import getMessage
 from syncplay.players.playerFactory import PlayerFactory
+import codecs
 try: 
     from syncplay.ui.GuiConfiguration import GuiConfiguration
 except ImportError:
@@ -123,7 +124,9 @@ class ConfigurationGetter(object):
 
     def _parseConfigFile(self, iniPath):
         parser = SafeConfigParser()
-        parser.read(iniPath)
+        if(not os.path.isfile(iniPath)):
+            open(iniPath, 'w').close()
+        parser.readfp(codecs.open(iniPath, "r", "utf_8_sig"))
         for section, options in self._iniStructure.items():
             if(parser.has_section(section)):
                 for option in options:
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ class ConfigurationGetter(object):
         if(self._config['noStore']):
             return
         parser = SafeConfigParser()
-        parser.read(iniPath)
+        parser.readfp(codecs.open(iniPath, "r", "utf_8_sig"))
         for section, options in self._iniStructure.items():
             if(not parser.has_section(section)):
                 parser.add_section(section)
@@ -173,7 +176,7 @@ class ConfigurationGetter(object):
                     changed = True
                 parser.set(section, option, str(self._config[option]))
         if(changed):
-            parser.write(file(iniPath, "w"))
+            parser.write(codecs.open(iniPath, "wb", "utf_8_sig"))
         
     def getConfiguration(self):
         iniPath = self._getConfigurationFilePath()
diff --git a/syncplay/ui/consoleUI.py b/syncplay/ui/consoleUI.py
index 81f3059..33bdf7d 100644
--- a/syncplay/ui/consoleUI.py
+++ b/syncplay/ui/consoleUI.py
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 import threading
 import time 
 import syncplay
-import os
 import re
 from syncplay import utils
 from syncplay import constants
 from syncplay.messages import getMessage
+import sys
 
 class ConsoleUI(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self):
@@ -20,14 +20,17 @@ class ConsoleUI(threading.Thread):
         self._syncplayClient = client
         
     def run(self):
-        while True:
-            data = raw_input()
-            data = data.rstrip('\n\r')
-            if(not self.promptMode.isSet()):
-                self.PromptResult = data
-                self.promptMode.set()
-            elif(self._syncplayClient):
-                self._executeCommand(data)
+        try:
+            while True:
+                data = raw_input().decode(sys.stdin.encoding)
+                data = data.rstrip('\n\r')
+                if(not self.promptMode.isSet()):
+                    self.PromptResult = data
+                    self.promptMode.set()
+                elif(self._syncplayClient):
+                    self._executeCommand(data)
+        except EOFError:
+            pass
         
     def promptFor(self, prompt=">", message=""):
         if message <> "":
@@ -38,8 +41,7 @@ class ConsoleUI(threading.Thread):
         return self.PromptResult
 
     def showMessage(self, message, noTimestamp=False):
-        if(os.name == "nt"):
-            message = message.encode('ascii', 'replace') 
+        message = message.encode(sys.stdout.encoding, 'replace')
         if(noTimestamp):
             print(message)
         else: