--- a/tincan.py	Tue May 28 15:54:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/tincan.py	Tue May 28 17:08:36 2019 -0700
@@ -194,11 +194,12 @@
     def prepare(self, **options):
         from chameleon import PageTemplate, PageTemplateFile
         if self.source:
-            self.tpl = PageTemplate(self.source, encoding=self.encoding,
-                **options)
+            self.tpl = PageTemplate(self.source, **options)
         else:
             self.tpl = PageTemplateFile(self.filename, encoding=self.encoding,
                 search_path=self.lookup, **options)
+            # XXX - work around broken Chameleon decoding
+            self.tpl.default_encoding = self.encoding
 
     def render(self, *args, **kwargs):
         for dictarg in args:
@@ -354,10 +355,10 @@
 # Using a cache is likely to help efficiency a lot, since many pages
 # will typically #load the same standard stuff.
 _tcache = {}
-def _get_template(name, direct):
+def _get_template(name, direct, coding):
     aname = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(direct, name))
     if aname not in _tcache:
-        tmpl = ChameleonTemplate(name=name, lookup=[direct])
+        tmpl = ChameleonTemplate(name=name, lookup=[direct], encoding=coding)
         tmpl.prepare()
         assert aname == tmpl.filename
         _tcache[aname] = tmpl
@@ -425,6 +426,7 @@
         self._seen = set()
         self._app = launcher.app
         self._save_loads = launcher.debug
+        self._encoding = launcher.encoding
 
     def launch(self):
         """
@@ -480,9 +482,9 @@
                 raise TinCanError("{0}: invalid #template: {1!s}".format(self._urlpath, e)) from e
             except IndexError as e:
                 raise TinCanError("{0}: invalid #template".format(self._urlpath)) from e
-            self._body = ChameleonTemplate(source=tfile.body)
+            self._body = ChameleonTemplate(source=tfile.body, encoding=self._encoding)
         else:
-            self._body = ChameleonTemplate(source=self._template.body)
+            self._body = ChameleonTemplate(source=self._template.body, encoding=self._encoding)
         self._body.prepare()
         # Process loads
         self._loads = {}
@@ -496,7 +498,7 @@
             else:
                 fdir = os.path.join(self._fsroot, *self._subdir)
             try:
-                tmpl = _get_template(load.fname, fdir)
+                tmpl = _get_template(load.fname, fdir, self._encoding)
             except Exception as e:
                 raise TinCanError("{0}: bad #load: {1!s}".format(self._urlpath, e)) from e
             self._loads[load.vname] = tmpl.tpl
@@ -525,7 +527,8 @@
             raise TinCanError("{0}: bad #errors line".format(self._urlpath)) from e
         if not errors:
             errors = range(_ERRMIN, _ERRMAX+1)
-        route = _TinCanErrorRoute(ChameleonTemplate(source=self._template.body),
+        route = _TinCanErrorRoute(
+            ChameleonTemplate(source=self._template.body, encoding=self._encoding),
             self._loads, self._class)
         for error in errors:
             if error < _ERRMIN or error > _ERRMAX:
@@ -676,6 +679,7 @@
 
 _WINF = "WEB-INF"
 _BANNED = set([_WINF])
+ENCODING = "utf-8"
 
 class _Launcher(object):
     """
@@ -691,6 +695,7 @@
         self.app = None
         self.errors = 0
         self.debug = False
+        self.encoding = ENCODING
 
     def launch(self):
         """
@@ -751,7 +756,7 @@
     sys.stderr.write(message)
     sys.stderr.write('\n')
 
-def launch(fsroot=None, urlroot='/', logger=_logger, debug=False):
+def launch(fsroot=None, urlroot='/', logger=_logger, debug=False, encoding=ENCODING):
     """
     Launch and return a TinCan webapp. Does not run the app; it is the
     caller's responsibility to call app.run()
@@ -760,6 +765,7 @@
         fsroot = os.getcwd()
     launcher = _Launcher(fsroot, urlroot, logger)
     launcher.debug = debug
+    launcher.encoding = encoding
     launcher.launch()
     return launcher.app, launcher.errors