diff --git a/detect_secrets/plugins/common/ini_file_parser.py b/detect_secrets/plugins/common/ini_file_parser.py
index c7918f3fe..e4b433cff 100644
--- a/detect_secrets/plugins/common/ini_file_parser.py
+++ b/detect_secrets/plugins/common/ini_file_parser.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import configparser
 import re
 
@@ -20,7 +22,8 @@ def __init__(self, file, add_header=False, exclude_lines_regex=None):
         try:
             # python2.7 compatible
             self.parser.optionxform = unicode
-        except NameError:
+        except NameError:  # pragma: no cover
+            # python3 compatible
             self.parser.optionxform = str
 
         self.exclude_lines_regex = exclude_lines_regex
@@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ def __init__(self, file, add_header=False, exclude_lines_regex=None):
         try:
             # python2.7 compatible
             self.parser.read_string(unicode(content))
-        except NameError:
+        except NameError:  # pragma: no cover
             # python3 compatible
             self.parser.read_string(content)
 
diff --git a/test_data/config.ini b/test_data/config.ini
index 97f5e14b4..cd2dc9f23 100644
--- a/test_data/config.ini
+++ b/test_data/config.ini
@@ -24,3 +24,6 @@ keyB = 456789123
 keyC =
 
 password = 12345678901234  # pragma: whitelist secret
+
+# unicode
+foo=bår