diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/file.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/file.py
index 92fa9a7c932..df4a5561155 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/file.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/file.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 from ansible import utils, errors
 import os
+import codecs
 
 class LookupModule(object):
 
@@ -31,5 +32,5 @@ class LookupModule(object):
             path = utils.path_dwim(self.basedir, term)
             if not os.path.exists(path):
                 raise errors.AnsibleError("%s does not exist" % path)
-            ret.append(open(path).read().rstrip())
+            ret.append(codecs.open(path, encoding="utf8").read().rstrip())
         return ret
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/pipe.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/pipe.py
index 37ea97b5204..6a9d9dd2318 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/pipe.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/pipe.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class LookupModule(object):
             p = subprocess.Popen(term, cwd=self.basedir, shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
             (stdout, stderr) = p.communicate()
             if p.returncode == 0:
-                ret.append(stdout.rstrip())
+                ret.append(stdout.decode("utf-8").rstrip())
             else:
                 raise errors.AnsibleError("lookup_plugin.pipe(%s) returned %d" % (term, p.returncode))
         return ret
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
index 61edb2940ea..4158768787e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/template.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def _varFind(basedir, text, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists):
             try:
                 replacement = instance.run(args, inject=vars)
                 if expand_lists:
-                    replacement = ",".join([str(x) for x in replacement])
+                    replacement = ",".join([unicode(x) for x in replacement])
             except:
                 if not lookup_fatal:
                     replacement = None