diff --git a/pytest_examples/eval_example.py b/pytest_examples/eval_example.py
index e2f19e7..a27ad03 100644
--- a/pytest_examples/eval_example.py
+++ b/pytest_examples/eval_example.py
@@ -269,5 +269,5 @@ def _mark_for_update(self, example: CodeExample) -> None:
 
     def _write_file(self, example: CodeExample) -> Path:
         python_file = self.tmp_path / f'{example.module_name}.py'
-        python_file.write_text(example.source)
+        python_file.write_text(example.source, encoding='utf-8')
         return python_file
diff --git a/pytest_examples/lint.py b/pytest_examples/lint.py
index 67133d4..07d22b0 100644
--- a/pytest_examples/lint.py
+++ b/pytest_examples/lint.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def ruff_check(
     ruff = find_ruff_bin()
     args = ruff, 'check', '-', *config.ruff_config(), *extra_ruff_args
 
-    p = Popen(args, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+    p = Popen(args, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, encoding='utf-8')
     stdout, stderr = p.communicate(example.source, timeout=10)
     if p.returncode == 1 and stdout:
 
diff --git a/pytest_examples/modify_files.py b/pytest_examples/modify_files.py
index dc94387..7df4a07 100644
--- a/pytest_examples/modify_files.py
+++ b/pytest_examples/modify_files.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def _modify_files(examples: list[CodeExample]) -> str:
     msg = [f'pytest-examples: {len(examples)} examples to update in {len(files)} file(s)...']
 
     for path, g in groupby(examples, key=lambda ex: ex.path):
-        content = path.read_text()
+        content = path.read_text(encoding='utf-8')
         count = 0
         for ex in g:
             example: CodeExample = ex
@@ -45,6 +45,6 @@ def _modify_files(examples: list[CodeExample]) -> str:
             count += 1
 
         msg.append(f'  {path} {count} examples updated')
-        path.write_text(content)
+        path.write_text(content, encoding='utf-8')
 
     return '\n'.join(msg)
diff --git a/tests/test_run_examples.py b/tests/test_run_examples.py
index d9df4b2..2313092 100644
--- a/tests/test_run_examples.py
+++ b/tests/test_run_examples.py
@@ -370,3 +370,23 @@ def test_find_run_examples(example: CodeExample, eval_example: EvalExample):
 
     result = pytester.runpytest('-p', 'no:pretty', '-v')
     result.assert_outcomes(passed=1)
+
+
+def test_unicode_emoji(pytester: pytest.Pytester):
+    pytester.makefile(
+        '.md',
+        my_file="```py\nprint('🚀 ✓')\n#> 🚀 ✓\n```",
+    )
+    pytester.makepyfile(
+        """
+from pytest_examples import find_examples, CodeExample, EvalExample
+import pytest
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('example', find_examples('.'), ids=str)
+def test_find_run_examples(example: CodeExample, eval_example: EvalExample):
+    eval_example.run_print_check(example)
+"""
+    )
+
+    result = pytester.runpytest('-p', 'no:pretty', '-v')
+    result.assert_outcomes(passed=1)