diff --git a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
index edc7abe2e..271b7a872 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ else:
     from urllib.parse import urlparse
     from urllib.request import urlopen, url2pathname
 import tempfile
+import io
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # set up logging
@@ -218,10 +219,7 @@ class CLIDbManager(object):
                 retval[_("Locked?")] = _("no")
             retval[_("Bsddb version")] = bsddb_version
             retval[_("Schema version")] = schema_version
-            if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
-                retval[_("Family Tree")] = name.encode(glocale.getfilesystemencoding())
-            else:
-                retval[_("Family Tree")] = name
+            retval[_("Family Tree")] = name
             retval[_("Path")] = dirpath
             retval[_("Last accessed")] = time.strftime('%x %X', 
                                                     time.localtime(tval))
@@ -513,12 +511,8 @@ def find_locker_name(dirpath):
     """
     try:
         fname = os.path.join(dirpath, "lock")
-        ifile = open(fname, 'rb')
+        ifile = io.open(fname, 'rb', encoding='utf8')
         username = ifile.read().strip()
-        # Convert username to unicode according to system encoding
-        # Otherwise problems with non ASCII characters in
-        # username in Windows
-        username = conv_to_unicode(username, glocale.getfilesystemencoding())
         # feature request 2356: avoid genitive form
         last = _("Locked by %s") % username
         ifile.close()
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/write.py b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
index 32c299995..a78e8aa26 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/write.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ else:
 import os
 import time
 import bisect
+import io
 from functools import wraps
 import logging
 from sys import maxsize, getfilesystemencoding, version_info
@@ -2266,7 +2267,7 @@ def clear_lock_file(name):
 def write_lock_file(name):
     if not os.path.isdir(name):
         os.mkdir(name)
-    f = open(os.path.join(name, DBLOCKFN), "w")
+    f = io.open(os.path.join(name, DBLOCKFN), "w", encoding='utf8')
     if win():
         user = get_env_var('USERNAME')
         host = get_env_var('USERDOMAIN')