diff --git management/univention-management-console-module-adtakeover/umc/python/adtakeover/takeover.py management/univention-management-console-module-adtakeover/umc/python/adtakeover/takeover.py
index 4e6f766ff4..5d44862ef2 100644
--- management/univention-management-console-module-adtakeover/umc/python/adtakeover/takeover.py
+++ management/univention-management-console-module-adtakeover/umc/python/adtakeover/takeover.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 # /usr/share/common-licenses/AGPL-3; if not, see
 # <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import chardet
+import codecs
 import os
 import re
 import sys
@@ -1917,9 +1919,12 @@ def check_gpo_presence():
 			gpcversion = obj["versionNumber"][0]
 			config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
 			try:
-				with open(os.path.join(gpo_path, 'GPT.INI')) as f:
+				gpo_filepath = os.path.join(gpo_path, 'GPT.INI')
+				with open(gpo_filepath) as f:
+					encoding = chardet.detect(f.read())['encoding']
+				with codecs.open(gpo_filepath, 'rb', encoding) as f:
 					try:
-						config.readfp(f)
+						config.read_file(f)
 						fileversion = config.get('General', 'version')
 						if fileversion < gpcversion:
 							log.error("File version %s of GPO %s is lower than GPO container versionNumber (%s)" % (fileversion, name, gpcversion))