diff --git a/lib/log-courier/client.rb b/lib/log-courier/client.rb
index 7e570f56..1dbdf0da 100644
--- a/lib/log-courier/client.rb
+++ b/lib/log-courier/client.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # This file is a modification of code from Logstash Forwarder.
diff --git a/lib/log-courier/client_tls.rb b/lib/log-courier/client_tls.rb
index 33ce5225..020e0d68 100644
--- a/lib/log-courier/client_tls.rb
+++ b/lib/log-courier/client_tls.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # This file is a modification of code from Logstash Forwarder.
diff --git a/lib/log-courier/server.rb b/lib/log-courier/server.rb
index a34f9633..7c25a403 100644
--- a/lib/log-courier/server.rb
+++ b/lib/log-courier/server.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # This file is a modification of code from Logstash Forwarder.
@@ -144,8 +146,15 @@ def process_jdat(message, comm, event_queue)
           raise ProtocolError
         end
 
-        # Extract message, and force UTF-8 to ensure we don't break anything, replacing invalid sequences
-        data = message[p...p + length].encode('utf-8', 'binary', :invalid => :replace, :undef => :replace, :replace => '?').force_encoding('UTF-8')
+        # Extract message
+        data = message[p...p + length].force_encoding('utf-8')
+
+        # Ensure valid encoding
+        unless data.valid_encoding?
+          data.chars.map do |c|
+            c.valid_encoding? ? c : "\xEF\xBF\xBD"
+          end
+        end
         p += length
 
         # Decode the JSON
diff --git a/lib/log-courier/server_tcp.rb b/lib/log-courier/server_tcp.rb
index 256594a7..9be382d4 100644
--- a/lib/log-courier/server_tcp.rb
+++ b/lib/log-courier/server_tcp.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # This file is a modification of code from Logstash Forwarder.
diff --git a/lib/log-courier/server_zmq.rb b/lib/log-courier/server_zmq.rb
index 71c848e7..8cbf57a3 100644
--- a/lib/log-courier/server_zmq.rb
+++ b/lib/log-courier/server_zmq.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/courier_spec.rb b/spec/courier_spec.rb
index 345f5788..7a14d756 100644
--- a/spec/courier_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/courier_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/gem_spec.rb b/spec/gem_spec.rb
index 54947d26..b7e5b1fd 100644
--- a/spec/gem_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/gem_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/lib/common.rb b/spec/lib/common.rb
index bc2b5d29..4b5d3f87 100644
--- a/spec/lib/common.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/common.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/lib/helpers/common.rb b/spec/lib/helpers/common.rb
index e0aeb32c..9ec6c3e0 100644
--- a/spec/lib/helpers/common.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/helpers/common.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/lib/helpers/log-courier.rb b/spec/lib/helpers/log-courier.rb
index 304afdaa..80a89ba5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/helpers/log-courier.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/helpers/log-courier.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/lib/logfile.rb b/spec/lib/logfile.rb
index c79360fa..f0ce7951 100644
--- a/spec/lib/logfile.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/logfile.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/lib/logfile/multiline.rb b/spec/lib/logfile/multiline.rb
index 65a68748..5c230426 100644
--- a/spec/lib/logfile/multiline.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/logfile/multiline.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/multiline_spec.rb b/spec/multiline_spec.rb
index 6116d295..7818df33 100644
--- a/spec/multiline_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/multiline_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/plainzmq_spec.rb b/spec/plainzmq_spec.rb
index 8ef783dc..edc6f72c 100644
--- a/spec/plainzmq_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/plainzmq_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/tcp_spec.rb b/spec/tcp_spec.rb
index ae628fc8..ba218209 100644
--- a/spec/tcp_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/tcp_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
diff --git a/spec/zmq_spec.rb b/spec/zmq_spec.rb
index 24485ad6..2c68748a 100644
--- a/spec/zmq_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/zmq_spec.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
 # Copyright 2014 Jason Woods.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");