diff --git a/songbook_core/build.py b/songbook_core/build.py
index bd50d0a3..a3bb9adb 100644
--- a/songbook_core/build.py
+++ b/songbook_core/build.py
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ class SongbookBuilder(object):
         for sxd_file in sxd_files:
             LOGGER.debug("Processing " + sxd_file)
             idx = process_sxd(sxd_file)
-            with open(sxd_file[:-3] + "sbx", "w") as index_file:
-                index_file.write(idx.entries_to_str().encode('utf8'))
+            with codecs.open(sxd_file[:-3] + "sbx", "w", "utf-8") as index_file:
+                index_file.write(idx.entries_to_str())
 
     @staticmethod
     def build_custom(command):
diff --git a/songbook_core/index.py b/songbook_core/index.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 75045c2d..504082d9
--- a/songbook_core/index.py
+++ b/songbook_core/index.py
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ from a file generated by the latex compilation of the songbook (.sxd).
 from unidecode import unidecode
 import locale
 import re
+import codecs
 
 from songbook_core.authors import processauthors
 from songbook_core.plastex import simpleparse
 
-EOL = "\n"
+EOL = u"\n"
 
 # Pattern set to ignore latex command in title prefix
 KEYWORD_PATTERN = re.compile(r"^%(\w+)\s?(.*)$")
@@ -37,11 +38,10 @@ def process_sxd(filename):
 
     Return an Index object.
     """
-    index_file = open(filename)
     data = []
-    for line in index_file:
-        data.append(line.strip())
-    index_file.close()
+    with codecs.open(filename, 'r', 'utf-8') as index_file:
+	for line in index_file:
+            data.append(line.strip())
 
     i = 1
     idx = Index(data[0])
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class Index(object):
     def _raw_add(self, key, number, link):
         """Add a song to the list.
 
-        No processing is done one data. It is added raw. See add() for a
+        No processing is done on data. It is added raw. See add() for a
         similar method with processing.
         """
         first = self.get_first_letter(key)
@@ -142,13 +142,16 @@ class Index(object):
         if self.indextype == "TITLE":
             # Removing prefixes before titles
             for pattern in self.prefix_patterns:
-                match = pattern.match(key)
+                match = pattern.match(key.encode('utf-8'))
                 if match:
                     self._raw_add(
                                   "{} ({})".format(
                                         match.group(2) + match.group(3),
-                                        match.group(1)),
-                                  number, link)
+                                        match.group(1)
+						                            ),
+                                    number,
+				                    link
+				                    )
                     return
             self._raw_add(key, number, link)
 
@@ -162,13 +165,15 @@ class Index(object):
     @staticmethod
     def ref_to_str(ref):
         """Return the LaTeX code corresponding to the reference."""
-        return r'\hyperlink{{{0[link]}}}{{{0[num]}}}'.format(ref)
+	return r'\hyperlink{{{0[link]}}}{{{0[num]}}}'.format(ref)
 
     def entry_to_str(self, key, entry):
         """Return the LaTeX code corresponding to the entry."""
-        return unicode(r'\idxentry{{{0}}}{{{1}}}' + EOL).format(
+	if not isinstance(key, unicode):
+              key = unicode(key, "UTF-8")
+	return unicode(ur'\idxentry{{{0}}}{{{1}}}' + EOL).format(
                 key,
-                r'\\'.join([self.ref_to_str(ref) for ref in entry]),
+                ur'\\'.join([self.ref_to_str(ref) for ref in entry]),
                 )
 
     def idxblock_to_str(self, letter, entries):
diff --git a/songbook_core/plastex.py b/songbook_core/plastex.py
index 3f3cefc9..84b29b96 100644
--- a/songbook_core/plastex.py
+++ b/songbook_core/plastex.py
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ def simpleparse(text):
     """Parse a simple LaTeX string.
     """
     tex = TeX()
-    tex.input(text.decode('utf8'))
+    if not isinstance(text, unicode):
+        text = text.decode("utf-8")
+    tex.input(text)
     doc = tex.parse()
     return process_unbr_spaces(doc.textContent)