diff --git a/rigcommander.cpp b/rigcommander.cpp
index 9b9334e..2d1bbce 100644
--- a/rigcommander.cpp
+++ b/rigcommander.cpp
@@ -1273,6 +1273,9 @@ void rigCommander::determineRigCaps()
     }
     rigCaps.filename = rigList.find(rigCaps.modelID).value();
     QSettings* settings = new QSettings(rigCaps.filename, QSettings::Format::IniFormat);
+#if (QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6,0,0))
+    settings->setIniCodec("UTF-8");
+#endif
     if (!settings->childGroups().contains("Rig"))
     {
         qWarning(logRig()) << rigCaps.filename << "Cannot be loaded!";
diff --git a/rigcreator.cpp b/rigcreator.cpp
index e99fc59..04ecac8 100644
--- a/rigcreator.cpp
+++ b/rigcreator.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ void rigCreator::loadRigFile(QString file)
     this->currentFile = file;
     QSettings* settings = new QSettings(file, QSettings::Format::IniFormat);
 
+#if (QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6,0,0))
+    settings->setIniCodec("UTF-8");
+#endif
+
     if (!settings->childGroups().contains("Rig"))
     {
         QFileInfo info(file);
diff --git a/wfmain.cpp b/wfmain.cpp
index 646ea0c..6d428e7 100644
--- a/wfmain.cpp
+++ b/wfmain.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,11 @@ wfmain::wfmain(const QString settingsFile, const QString logFile, bool debugMode
         QStringList rigs = systemRigDir.entryList(QStringList() << "*.rig" << "*.RIG", QDir::Files);
         for (QString &rig: rigs) {
             QSettings* rigSettings = new QSettings(systemRigDir.absoluteFilePath(rig), QSettings::Format::IniFormat);
+
+#if (QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6,0,0))
+            settings->setIniCodec("UTF-8");
+#endif
+
             if (!rigSettings->childGroups().contains("Rig"))
             {
                 qWarning() << rig << "Does not seem to be a rig description file";