diff --git a/lib/pkgcloud/core/base/client.js b/lib/pkgcloud/core/base/client.js
index 34a4a5431..7e8562979 100644
--- a/lib/pkgcloud/core/base/client.js
+++ b/lib/pkgcloud/core/base/client.js
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ Client.prototype._request = function (options, callback) {
     requestOptions.body = options.body;
   }
 
+  if (options.encoding || options.encoding === null) {
+    requestOptions.encoding = options.encoding;
+  }
+
   if (options.container) {
     requestOptions.signingUrl = '/' + options.container + '/';
 
diff --git a/lib/pkgcloud/openstack/storage/client/files.js b/lib/pkgcloud/openstack/storage/client/files.js
index dfab0d8c2..a4d365f28 100644
--- a/lib/pkgcloud/openstack/storage/client/files.js
+++ b/lib/pkgcloud/openstack/storage/client/files.js
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ exports.download = function (options, callback) {
     container: container,
     path: options.remote,
     download: true,
-    headers: options.headers
+    headers: options.headers,
+    encoding: null
   }, success);
 
   if (inputStream) {