diff --git a/odoo/http.py b/odoo/http.py
index de06e2472f3..4b69a155386 100644
--- a/odoo/http.py
+++ b/odoo/http.py
@@ -1311,7 +1311,8 @@ class Root(object):
                     manifest_path = module_manifest(mod_path)
                     path_static = opj(addons_path, module, 'static')
                     if manifest_path and os.path.isdir(path_static):
-                        manifest = ast.literal_eval(open(manifest_path).read())
+                        manifest_data = open(manifest_path, 'rb').read()
+                        manifest = ast.literal_eval(pycompat.to_native(manifest_data))
                         if not manifest.get('installable', True):
                             continue
                         manifest['addons_path'] = addons_path
diff --git a/odoo/modules/module.py b/odoo/modules/module.py
index 586a43af69e..af2b28883c4 100644
--- a/odoo/modules/module.py
+++ b/odoo/modules/module.py
@@ -328,9 +328,9 @@ def load_information_from_description_file(module, mod_path=None):
             'depends data demo test init_xml update_xml demo_xml'.split(),
             iter(list, None)))
 
-        f = tools.file_open(manifest_file)
+        f = tools.file_open(manifest_file, mode='rb')
         try:
-            info.update(ast.literal_eval(f.read()))
+            info.update(ast.literal_eval(pycompat.to_native(f.read())))
         finally:
             f.close()