diff --git a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
index 473605f7d..8bf89f854 100644
--- a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
+++ b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2006-2012 sqlmap developers (http://sqlmap.org/)
 See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
 """
 
-import codecs
 import os
 import re
 import sys
@@ -531,7 +530,7 @@ class Metasploit:
             errMsg = "failed to create the shellcode (%s)" % payloadStderr.replace("\n", " ").replace("\r", "")
             raise SqlmapFilePathException, errMsg
 
-        self._shellcodeFP = codecs.open(self._shellcodeFilePath, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING)
+        self._shellcodeFP = open(self._shellcodeFilePath, "rb")
         self.shellcodeString = self._shellcodeFP.read()
         self._shellcodeFP.close()
 
diff --git a/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py b/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
index 2e01e01f0..be9d000ea 100644
--- a/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
+++ b/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2006-2012 sqlmap developers (http://sqlmap.org/)
 See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
 """
 
-import codecs
 import ntpath
 import os
 
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ from lib.core.enums import EXPECTED
 from lib.core.enums import PAYLOAD
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUnsupportedFeatureException
-from lib.core.settings import UNICODE_ENCODING
 from lib.request import inject
 
 from plugins.generic.filesystem import Filesystem as GenericFilesystem
@@ -338,9 +336,8 @@ class Filesystem(GenericFilesystem):
 
         tmpPath = posixToNtSlashes(conf.tmpPath)
         dFile = posixToNtSlashes(dFile)
-        wFilePointer = codecs.open(wFile, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING)
-        wFileContent = wFilePointer.read()
-        wFilePointer.close()
+        with open(wFile, "rb") as f:
+            wFileContent = f.read()
 
         self._stackedWriteFileVbs(tmpPath, wFileContent, dFile, fileType)
 
diff --git a/plugins/generic/filesystem.py b/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
index 950f5f85f..36f80eafe 100644
--- a/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
+++ b/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2006-2012 sqlmap developers (http://sqlmap.org/)
 See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
 """
 
-import codecs
 import os
 
 from lib.core.agent import agent
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ from lib.core.enums import CHARSET_TYPE
 from lib.core.enums import EXPECTED
 from lib.core.enums import PAYLOAD
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUndefinedMethod
-from lib.core.settings import UNICODE_ENCODING
 from lib.request import inject
 
 class Filesystem:
@@ -113,7 +111,7 @@ class Filesystem:
         """
 
         retVal = []
-        with codecs.open(fileName, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING) as f:
+        with open(fileName, "rb") as f:
             content = f.read().encode(encoding).replace("\n", "")
 
         if not single: