diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index 356fca750e9..1f31ade237e 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -10,49 +10,85 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 
 using namespace v8;
+using namespace node;
 
 #define FD_SYMBOL v8::String::NewSymbol("fd")
 #define ACTION_QUEUE_SYMBOL v8::String::NewSymbol("_actionQueue")
+#define ENCODING_SYMBOL v8::String::NewSymbol("encoding")
+
+#define UTF8_SYMBOL v8::String::NewSymbol("utf8")
+#define RAW_SYMBOL v8::String::NewSymbol("raw")
+
+static void
+InitActionQueue (Handle<Object> handle)
+{
+  handle->Set(ACTION_QUEUE_SYMBOL, Array::New());
+}
 
 // This is the file system object which contains methods
 // for accessing the file system (like rename, mkdir, etC). 
 // In javascript it is called "File".
 static Persistent<Object> fs;
 
-class FileSystem {
-public:
-  static Handle<Value> Rename (const Arguments& args);
-  static int AfterRename (eio_req *req);
+void
+File::Initialize (Handle<Object> target)
+{
+  if (!fs.IsEmpty())
+    return;
 
-  static Handle<Value> Stat (const Arguments& args);
-  static int AfterStat (eio_req *req);
+  HandleScope scope;
 
-  static Handle<Value> StrError (const Arguments& args);
-};
+  Local<FunctionTemplate> file_template = FunctionTemplate::New(File::New);
+  file_template->InstanceTemplate()->SetInternalFieldCount(1);
 
-class File : node::ObjectWrap {
-public:
-  File (Handle<Object> handle);
-  ~File ();
+  // file methods
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_open", File::Open);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_close", File::Close);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_write", File::Write);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_read", File::Read);
 
-  static Handle<Value> New (const Arguments& args);
+  file_template->InstanceTemplate()->SetAccessor(ENCODING_SYMBOL, File::GetEncoding, File::SetEncoding);
 
-  static Handle<Value> Open (const Arguments& args);
-  static int AfterOpen (eio_req *req);
+  fs = Persistent<Object>::New(file_template->GetFunction());
+  InitActionQueue(fs);
 
-  static Handle<Value> Close (const Arguments& args); 
-  static int AfterClose (eio_req *req);
+  target->Set(String::NewSymbol("File"), fs);
 
-  static Handle<Value> Write (const Arguments& args);
-  static int AfterWrite (eio_req *req);
+  // file system methods
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "_ffi_rename", FileSystem::Rename);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "_ffi_stat", FileSystem::Stat);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "strerror", FileSystem::StrError);
+  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDIN_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDIN_FILENO));
+  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDOUT_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDOUT_FILENO));
+  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDERR_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDERR_FILENO));
+}
 
-  static Handle<Value> Read (const Arguments& args);
-  static int AfterRead (eio_req *req);
+Handle<Value>
+File::GetEncoding (Local<String> property, const AccessorInfo& info) 
+{
+  File *file = NODE_UNWRAP(File, info.This());
 
-private:
-  bool HasUtf8Encoding (void);
-  int GetFD (void);
-};
+  if (file->encoding_ == UTF8)
+    return UTF8_SYMBOL;
+  else
+    return RAW_SYMBOL;
+}
+    
+void
+File::SetEncoding (Local<String> property, Local<Value> value, const AccessorInfo& info) 
+{
+  File *file = NODE_UNWRAP(File, info.This());
+
+  if (value->IsString()) {
+    Local<String> encoding_string = value->ToString();
+    char buf[5]; // need enough room for "utf8" or "raw"
+    encoding_string->WriteAscii(buf, 0, 4);
+    buf[4] = '\0';
+    file->encoding_ = strcasecmp(buf, "utf8") == 0 ? UTF8 : RAW;
+  } else {
+    file->encoding_ = RAW;
+  }
+}
 
 static void
 CallTopCallback (Handle<Object> handle, const int argc, Handle<Value> argv[])
@@ -87,12 +123,6 @@ CallTopCallback (Handle<Object> handle, const int argc, Handle<Value> argv[])
   poll_actions->Call(handle, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-static void
-InitActionQueue (Handle<Object> handle)
-{
-  handle->Set(ACTION_QUEUE_SYMBOL, Array::New());
-}
-
 Handle<Value>
 FileSystem::Rename (const Arguments& args)
 {
@@ -206,6 +236,7 @@ File::File (Handle<Object> handle)
   : ObjectWrap(handle)
 {
   HandleScope scope;
+  encoding_ = RAW;
   InitActionQueue(handle);
 }
 
@@ -434,7 +465,7 @@ File::AfterRead (eio_req *req)
     argv[1] = Local<Value>::New(Null());
   } else {
     size_t length = req->result;
-    if (file->HasUtf8Encoding()) {
+    if (file->encoding_ == UTF8) {
       // utf8 encoding
       argv[1] = String::New(buf, req->result);
     } else {
@@ -460,33 +491,3 @@ File::New(const Arguments& args)
   return args.This();
 }
 
-void
-node::Init_file (Handle<Object> target)
-{
-  if (!fs.IsEmpty())
-    return;
-
-  HandleScope scope;
-
-  Local<FunctionTemplate> file_template = FunctionTemplate::New(File::New);
-  file_template->InstanceTemplate()->SetInternalFieldCount(1);
-
-  fs = Persistent<Object>::New(file_template->GetFunction());
-  InitActionQueue(fs);
-
-  target->Set(String::NewSymbol("File"), fs);
-
-  // file system methods
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "_ffi_rename", FileSystem::Rename);
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "_ffi_stat", FileSystem::Stat);
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(fs, "strerror", FileSystem::StrError);
-  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDIN_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDIN_FILENO));
-  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDOUT_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDOUT_FILENO));
-  fs->Set(String::NewSymbol("STDERR_FILENO"), Integer::New(STDERR_FILENO));
-
-  // file methods
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_open", File::Open);
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_close", File::Close);
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_write", File::Write);
-  NODE_SET_METHOD(file_template->InstanceTemplate(), "_ffi_read", File::Read);
-}
diff --git a/src/file.h b/src/file.h
index 5fe372bb7da..a71b83d73e3 100644
--- a/src/file.h
+++ b/src/file.h
@@ -5,7 +5,50 @@
 
 namespace node {
 
-void Init_file (v8::Handle<v8::Object> target);
+class FileSystem {
+public:
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Rename (const v8::Arguments& args);
+  static int AfterRename (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Stat (const v8::Arguments& args);
+  static int AfterStat (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> StrError (const v8::Arguments& args);
+};
+
+class File : ObjectWrap {
+public:
+  static void Initialize (v8::Handle<v8::Object> target);
+
+protected:
+  File (v8::Handle<v8::Object> handle);
+  ~File ();
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> New (const v8::Arguments& args);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Open (const v8::Arguments& args);
+  static int AfterOpen (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Close (const v8::Arguments& args); 
+  static int AfterClose (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Write (const v8::Arguments& args);
+  static int AfterWrite (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Read (const v8::Arguments& args);
+  static int AfterRead (eio_req *req);
+
+  static v8::Handle<v8::Value> GetEncoding (v8::Local<v8::String> property, 
+                                            const v8::AccessorInfo& info);
+  static void SetEncoding (v8::Local<v8::String> property, 
+                            v8::Local<v8::Value> value, 
+                            const v8::AccessorInfo& info);
+
+  bool HasUtf8Encoding (void);
+  int GetFD (void);
+
+  enum encoding encoding_;
+};
 
 } // namespace node
 #endif // node_file_h
diff --git a/src/file.js b/src/file.js
index 3c0f76aee91..9f654420ab0 100644
--- a/src/file.js
+++ b/src/file.js
@@ -12,16 +12,22 @@ File.exists = function (path, callback) {
   });
 }
 
-File.cat = function (path, callback) {
+File.cat = function (path, encoding, callback) {
   var content = "";
-  var file = new File;
+  var file = new File();
+  file.encoding = "utf8";
   var pos = 0;
   var chunkSize = 10*1024;
 
   function readChunk () {
     file.read(chunkSize, pos, function (status, chunk) {
       if (chunk) {
-        content += chunk.encodeUtf8();
+
+        if (chunk.constructor == String)
+          content += chunk;
+        else
+          content = content.concat(chunk);
+
         pos += chunk.length;
         readChunk();
       } else {
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 3b0961fd3e8..95b25999a66 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ clearInterval = clearTimeout;
   }
 
   function loadScript (filename, target, callback) {
-    File.cat(filename, function (status, content) {
+    File.cat(filename, "utf8", function (status, content) {
       if (status != 0) {
         stderr.puts("Error reading " + filename + ": " + File.strerror(status));
         exit(1);
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index cb16453efd4..12b39d9f89f 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -265,7 +265,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   // BUILT-IN MODULES
   node::Init_timer(g);
-  node::Init_file(g);
+
+  File::Initialize(g);
 
   Acceptor::Initialize(g);
   Connection::Initialize(g);