diff --git a/git/refs/symbolic.py b/git/refs/symbolic.py
index a8ca6538f..638048fb6 100644
--- a/git/refs/symbolic.py
+++ b/git/refs/symbolic.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def _iter_packed_refs(cls, repo):
         """Returns an iterator yielding pairs of sha1/path pairs (as bytes) for the corresponding refs.
         :note: The packed refs file will be kept open as long as we iterate"""
         try:
-            with open(cls._get_packed_refs_path(repo), 'rt') as fp:
+            with open(cls._get_packed_refs_path(repo), 'rt', encoding='utf-8') as fp:
                 for line in fp:
                     line = line.strip()
                     if not line:
diff --git a/git/remote.py b/git/remote.py
index 0965c1f60..0bab3be90 100644
--- a/git/remote.py
+++ b/git/remote.py
@@ -786,8 +786,7 @@ def fetch(self, refspec=None, progress=None, **kwargs):
         else:
             args = [refspec]
 
-        proc = self.repo.git.fetch(self, *args, as_process=True, with_stdout=False,
-                                   universal_newlines=True, v=True, **kwargs)
+        proc = self.repo.git.fetch(self, *args, as_process=True, with_stdout=False, v=True, **kwargs)
         res = self._get_fetch_info_from_stderr(proc, progress)
         if hasattr(self.repo.odb, 'update_cache'):
             self.repo.odb.update_cache()
@@ -805,8 +804,7 @@ def pull(self, refspec=None, progress=None, **kwargs):
             # No argument refspec, then ensure the repo's config has a fetch refspec.
             self._assert_refspec()
         kwargs = add_progress(kwargs, self.repo.git, progress)
-        proc = self.repo.git.pull(self, refspec, with_stdout=False, as_process=True,
-                                  universal_newlines=True, v=True, **kwargs)
+        proc = self.repo.git.pull(self, refspec, with_stdout=False, as_process=True, v=True, **kwargs)
         res = self._get_fetch_info_from_stderr(proc, progress)
         if hasattr(self.repo.odb, 'update_cache'):
             self.repo.odb.update_cache()
@@ -840,8 +838,7 @@ def push(self, refspec=None, progress=None, **kwargs):
             If the operation fails completely, the length of the returned IterableList will
             be null."""
         kwargs = add_progress(kwargs, self.repo.git, progress)
-        proc = self.repo.git.push(self, refspec, porcelain=True, as_process=True,
-                                  universal_newlines=True, **kwargs)
+        proc = self.repo.git.push(self, refspec, porcelain=True, as_process=True, **kwargs)
         return self._get_push_info(proc, progress)
 
     @property