diff --git a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/application.rb b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/application.rb
index 08e2ec19..f00b00dc 100644
--- a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/application.rb
+++ b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/application.rb
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ module Middleman
     # @return [String]
     set :http_prefix, "/"
 
+    # Default string encoding for templates and output.
+    # @return [String]
+    set :encoding,    "utf-8"
+
     # Whether to catch and display exceptions
     # @return [Boolean]
     set :show_exceptions, true
@@ -128,6 +132,9 @@ module Middleman
     # Activate custom features and extensions
     include Middleman::CoreExtensions::Extensions
 
+    # Manage Ruby string encodings
+    include Middleman::CoreExtensions::RubyEncoding
+
     # Basic Rack Request Handling
     include Middleman::CoreExtensions::Request
 
diff --git a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions.rb b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions.rb
index 0b5f5ecb..2267cd7c 100644
--- a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions.rb
+++ b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions.rb
@@ -27,4 +27,7 @@ require "middleman-core/core_extensions/rendering"
 require "middleman-core/core_extensions/routing"
 
 # Catch and show exceptions at the Rack level
-require "middleman-core/core_extensions/show_exceptions"
\ No newline at end of file
+require "middleman-core/core_extensions/show_exceptions"
+
+# Manage Ruby string encodings
+require "middleman-core/core_extensions/ruby_encoding"
diff --git a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions/ruby_encoding.rb b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions/ruby_encoding.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2f592f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/core_extensions/ruby_encoding.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Simple extension to manage Ruby encodings
+module Middleman::CoreExtensions::RubyEncoding
+
+  # Setup extension
+  class << self
+    
+    # Once registerd
+    def registered(app)
+      app.send :include, InstanceMethods
+    end
+
+  end
+
+  module InstanceMethods
+    def initialize
+      if Object.const_defined?(:Encoding)
+        Encoding.default_internal = encoding
+        Encoding.default_external = encoding
+      end
+
+      super
+    end
+  end
+end