diff --git a/.lint.py b/.lint.py
index b118895b2d..a0d3672bbb 100755
--- a/.lint.py
+++ b/.lint.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 for inputfile in args.files:
     insideFigure = False
     beforeAbstract = True
-    with open(inputfile, 'U') as draft:
+    with open(inputfile, mode='rt', newline=None, encoding='utf-8') as draft:
         linecounter = 1
         lines = draft.readlines()