diff --git a/tobiko/shell/ssh/_config.py b/tobiko/shell/ssh/_config.py
index a9b746bf3..0e75ccac1 100644
--- a/tobiko/shell/ssh/_config.py
+++ b/tobiko/shell/ssh/_config.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import collections
+import io
 import os
 import typing  # noqa
 import urllib
@@ -75,9 +76,15 @@ class SSHConfigFixture(tobiko.SharedFixture):
             config_file = tobiko.tobiko_config_path(config_file)
             if os.path.exists(config_file):
                 LOG.debug("Parsing %r config file...", config_file)
-                with open(config_file) as f:
-                    self.config.parse(f)
-                LOG.debug("File %r parsed.", config_file)
+                try:
+                    with io.open(config_file, 'rt',
+                                 encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                        self.config.parse(f)
+                except Exception as ex:
+                    LOG.exception(f"Error parsing '{config_file}' SSH config "
+                                  f"file: {ex}")
+                else:
+                    LOG.debug("File %r parsed.", config_file)
 
     def lookup(self,
                host: typing.Optional[str] = None,
diff --git a/tobiko/tests/unit/shell/test_ssh.py b/tobiko/tests/unit/shell/test_ssh.py
index d32e331b8..0ab48a8cc 100644
--- a/tobiko/tests/unit/shell/test_ssh.py
+++ b/tobiko/tests/unit/shell/test_ssh.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+import io
 import os
 
 import mock
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@ class SSHClientFixtureTest(unit.TobikoUnitTest):
         for ssh_config_file in CONF.tobiko.ssh.config_files:
             ssh_config_file = tobiko.tobiko_config_path(ssh_config_file)
             if os.path.exists(ssh_config_file):
-                with open(ssh_config_file) as f:
+                with io.open(ssh_config_file, 'rt',
+                             encoding="utf-8") as f:
                     ssh_config.parse(f)
         expected_host_config = ssh_config.lookup(fixture.host)
         expected_host_config.pop('include', None)