diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8caf7747a..f74d54826 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 ## next
 
+*Bug Fixes*
+- Help ruby correctly identify kubectl output encoding. [#646](https://github.com/Shopify/krane/pull/646)
+
 ## 1.1.1
 
 *Enhancements*
diff --git a/lib/krane/kubectl.rb b/lib/krane/kubectl.rb
index f3451e6ca..3278f1586 100644
--- a/lib/krane/kubectl.rb
+++ b/lib/krane/kubectl.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,16 @@ def run(*args, log_failure: nil, use_context: true, use_namespace: true, output:
       (1..attempts).to_a.each do |current_attempt|
         logger.debug("Running command (attempt #{current_attempt}): #{cmd.join(' ')}")
         out, err, st = Open3.capture3(*cmd)
-        logger.debug("Kubectl out: " + out.gsub(/\s+/, ' ')) unless output_is_sensitive
+
+        # https://github.com/Shopify/krane/issues/395
+        unless out.valid_encoding?
+          out = out.dup.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8)
+        end
+
+        if logger.debug? && !output_is_sensitive
+          # don't do the gsub unless we're going to print this
+          logger.debug("Kubectl out: " + out.gsub(/\s+/, ' '))
+        end
 
         break if st.success?
         raise(ResourceNotFoundError, err) if err.match(ERROR_MATCHERS[:not_found]) && raise_if_not_found
diff --git a/test/unit/krane/kubectl_test.rb b/test/unit/krane/kubectl_test.rb
index f13efb852..a87294485 100644
--- a/test/unit/krane/kubectl_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/krane/kubectl_test.rb
@@ -348,6 +348,29 @@ def test_retry_delay_backoff
     end
   end
 
+  def test_kubectl_run_fixes_encoding_when_locales_set_to_non_utf8
+    ext_before = Encoding.default_external
+    int_before = Encoding.default_internal
+    logger.level = ::Logger::DEBUG
+    utf8 = "こんにちは！hélas!"
+
+    # This is how setting the env from https://github.com/Shopify/krane/issues/395 manifests internally
+    Encoding.default_external = Encoding::US_ASCII
+    Encoding.default_internal = nil
+
+    # put the string through the default external encoder
+    data = %x(echo #{utf8})
+    assert_equal(Encoding::US_ASCII, data.encoding)
+
+    stub_open3(%W(kubectl get pods --namespace=testn --context=testc --request-timeout=#{timeout}), resp: data)
+    out, _err, _st = build_kubectl.run("get", "pods")
+    assert_equal(utf8, out)
+    assert_equal(Encoding::UTF_8, out.encoding)
+  ensure
+    Encoding.default_external = ext_before
+    Encoding.default_internal = int_before
+  end
+
   private
 
   def timeout