diff --git a/gyp/pylib/gyp/easy_xml.py b/gyp/pylib/gyp/easy_xml.py
index e0628ef4d8..ed67618742 100644
--- a/gyp/pylib/gyp/easy_xml.py
+++ b/gyp/pylib/gyp/easy_xml.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 # found in the LICENSE file.
 
+import sys
 import re
 import os
 import locale
@@ -121,7 +122,10 @@ def WriteXmlIfChanged(content, path, encoding="utf-8", pretty=False, win32=False
 
     default_encoding = locale.getdefaultlocale()[1]
     if default_encoding and default_encoding.upper() != encoding.upper():
-        xml_string = xml_string.encode(encoding)
+        if (sys.version_info[0] >= 3) and (sys.version_info[1] >= 7):
+            xml_string = xml_string.encode(encoding)
+        else:
+            xml_string = xml_string.decode("cp1251").encode(encoding)
 
     # Get the old content
     try:
diff --git a/gyp/pylib/gyp/input.py b/gyp/pylib/gyp/input.py
index 5504390c0b..4fd7565ca5 100644
--- a/gyp/pylib/gyp/input.py
+++ b/gyp/pylib/gyp/input.py
@@ -236,7 +236,10 @@ def LoadOneBuildFile(build_file_path, data, aux_data, includes, is_target, check
             # But since node-gyp produces ebcdic files, do not use that mode.
             build_file_contents = open(build_file_path, "r").read()
         else:
-            build_file_contents = open(build_file_path, "rU").read()
+            if (sys.version_info[0] >= 3) and (sys.version_info[1] >= 7):
+                build_file_contents = open(build_file_path, 'rU', encoding="utf8").read()
+            else:
+                build_file_contents = open(build_file_path, 'rU').read()
     else:
         raise GypError("%s not found (cwd: %s)" % (build_file_path, os.getcwd()))
 
diff --git a/lib/find-python-script.py b/lib/find-python-script.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96e468d436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/find-python-script.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import sys, codecs;
+
+if (sys.stdout.encoding != "utf-8"):
+    if (sys.version_info[0] >= 3) and (sys.version_info[1] >= 7):
+        sys.stdout.reconfigure(encoding='utf-8')
+    else:
+        sys.stdout = codecs.getwriter("utf8")(sys.stdout)
+
+
+if (sys.version_info[0] >= 3) and (sys.version_info[1] >= 7):
+    print(sys.executable)
+else:
+    print(sys.executable.decode("cp1251"));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/find-python.js b/lib/find-python.js
index af269de2fc..811ccd4019 100644
--- a/lib/find-python.js
+++ b/lib/find-python.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ function PythonFinder (configPython, callback) {
 
 PythonFinder.prototype = {
   log: logWithPrefix(log, 'find Python'),
-  argsExecutable: ['-c', 'import sys; print(sys.executable);'],
+  argsExecutable: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'find-python-script.py')],
   argsVersion: ['-c', 'import sys; print("%s.%s.%s" % sys.version_info[:3]);'],
   semverRange: '2.7.x || >=3.5.0',
 
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ PythonFinder.prototype = {
   run: function run (exec, args, shell, callback) {
     var env = extend({}, this.env)
     env.TERM = 'dumb'
-    const opts = { env: env, shell: shell }
+    const opts = { env: env, shell: shell, encoding: 'utf8' }
 
     this.log.silly('execFile: exec = %j', exec)
     this.log.silly('execFile: args = %j', args)